Federal Judge to Rule Saturday on Treason Case Against Ex-Chihuahua AG

César Jáuregui, the former attorney general of Mexico's Chihuahua state, faces a federal decision on Saturday that will determine if he proceeds to trial for treason. The charge stems from an April 2026 operation to dismantle a methamphetamine lab in the municipality of Morelos, where Jáuregui authorized the participation of U.S. agents without notifying the federal government.

On April 19, state officials announced they had destroyed the drug production site. During the convoy's return journey, a vehicle left the road and crashed into a ravine. Four people died in the accident: two Mexican state officials and two Americans. The Mexican victims were Pedro Román Oseguera Cervantes, the first commander of the state investigation agency, and officer Manuel Genaro Méndez Montes.

Jáuregui described the American participants as instructor officers conducting training under binational anti-drug cooperation. He stated that the targeted facility was one of the largest chemical drug production sites found in the country. No arrests were made because the suspects fled the scene. The incident prompted Jáuregui to resign, citing a desire to facilitate an inquiry into the event.

Federal prosecutors argue that Jáuregui endangered national security by allowing foreign agents to join a field operation, a decision reserved for the federal executive. The treason count carries a sentence ranging from five to 40 years in prison. Defense attorney Héctor Villasana stated that prosecutors told a closed hearing they sought an exemplary punishment to prevent a scenario similar to the U.S. removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Jáuregui was arrested on October 17 on state charges of illegally exercising public office. A judge ruled this week that those state charges can proceed to trial. Federal officials subsequently added the treason count, and a federal judge is scheduled to rule on the validity of that indictment on Saturday.

Legal experts express doubt that the treason charge will hold up in court. Samuel González, a former chief prosecutor for organized crime, noted that while Jáuregui may have failed in his obligations by not informing federal authorities or allowing foreigners to carry weapons, treason is typically a wartime crime. Carlos Pérez Ricart of CIDE university called the case a political decision ahead of the 2027 midterm elections, warning that it sends a negative signal to Washington.

Accounts of the American agents' roles have varied across government bodies. U.S. Ambassador Ronald Johnson referred to them as embassy personnel, while multiple sources familiar with the case identified them as CIA agents. The CIA declined to comment on the matter. Mexico's security ministry reported that one agent entered as a visitor and the other held a diplomatic passport, with neither having formal accreditation for operational activities. Two other U.S. agents traveling in a separate vehicle were later expelled from the country.

President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that none of the agents had permission to operate in Mexico. Her administration has moved to tighten oversight of foreign intelligence activities, including a constitutional amendment barring field operations without express Mexican authorization. The U.S. State Department said it is monitoring the case but has not officially linked the legal proceedings to the deaths of the two Americans.