Mexican government officials said that the two CIA officers who died in a car crash in Chihuahua earlier this month were not authorized to take part in operations in the country.
Different reports have claimed that the agents, whose role was not initially disclosed, were involved in an operation to destroy drug labs.
The deaths of the men and how much they were involved in the operation has sparked concerns about U.S. security activities in Mexico and whether the country's sovereignty was violated.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said that Mexico's federal government was not informed of the operation, something that goes against the law, and has threatened to take action against the government of Chihuahua.
"There cannot be agents from any U.S. government institution operating in the Mexican field," Sheinbaum said last Wednesday.
The Mexican Ministry of Security noted that one of the U.S. agents entered Mexico as a visitor, while the other one did so with a diplomatic passport. It added that it is reviewing the developments with local authorities and the U.S. Embassy in Mexico.
"Mexican law is clear: it does not permit the participation of foreign agents in operations within the national territory," the ministry said in a statement. "The Government of Mexico reiterates its willingness to maintain a close, serious, and respectful relationship with the Government of the United States for the benefit of the security of both countries," it added.
The two men died in a vehicle crash following the operation along with two Mexican law enforcement officials. A press release from the Chihuahua Attorney General's office noted that "two instructor officers from the United States Embassy...died in an accident while returning from the operation to destroy clandestine laboratories in the municipality of Morelos."
The release further states that the two U.S. men were "two instructor officers from the United States Embassy, who were carrying out training work as part of the exchange that is generally and normally carried out with the American authorities."
Chihuahua authorities eventually rejected any notion that the men had participated in the operation directly, saying they were several hours away at the time it happened and were conducting training operations.
The Mexican officials who died have been identified as Pedro Román Oseguera Cervantes and officer Manuel Genaro Méndez Montes. Both men were with the Chihuahua State Investigation Agency.
The U.S. has not yet identified the men killed. However, U.S. Ambassador Ronald Johnson acknowledged the deaths of U.S. embassy personnel on social media, writing that "This tragedy is a solemn reminder of the risks faced by those Mexican and U.S. officials who are dedicated to protecting our communities."
