A former Chihuahua state prosecutor fled to the United States and is now under the protection of the U.S. government after permitting Central Intelligence Agency officers to operate in his state, according to U.S. and Mexican officials.
Guillermo Zuany Portillo left the country after reports showed CIA officers trained forces, joined counter-cartel missions, and provided expertise during ground operations in Chihuahua. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she did not want U.S. forces taking part in operations on the ground in Mexico, calling it a breach of sovereignty.
The C.I.A. sought to expand activity in the country and found a partner in Mr. Zuany to help it do so quietly. For more than six months beginning last year, the former prosecutor guided C.I.A. officers as they trained forces in Chihuahua, joined counter-cartel missions, and provided expertise during ground operations.
The operation ended when an April car crash killed two C.I.A. officers and two Mexican investigators. The dead included first commander of the state investigation agency Pedro Román Oseguera Cervantes and officer Manuel Genaro Méndez Montes.
The crash exposed that U.S. personnel operated without the knowledge or sanction of Mexico’s federal government. This violated the Mexican Constitution.
An investigation ruled the crash an accident, but the incident triggered a national political crisis. President Sheinbaum ordered an inquiry into the operation. She said anti-drug operations are the sole responsibility of the federal government and that CIA agents failed to announce activities under U.S.-Mexico security agreements.
Mr. Zuany resigned in April. Mexican authorities issued a warrant for his arrest. Cesar Jauregui Moreno was indicted and placed in pretrial detention early Wednesday on charges of treason for collaborating with the CIA without the knowledge or authorization of Mexico’s federal government.
Prosecutors argued during a closed-door hearing that disclosing investigation details to the media could jeopardize national security. Mr. Zuany fled to the United States and is now under the U.S. government’s protection. The case has shed light on the close ties between state governments and US security agencies, amid growing pressure from Washington for greater involvement in Mexico’s security policy.
“It's worth finding out who this person is and how he worked with one of the U.S. agencies,” President Sheinbaum said during a regular morning news conference.
