Federal Judge to Determine Fate of Treason Case Against Ex-Chihuahua Prosecutor

A federal judge will decide Saturday whether to move forward with treason charges against César Jáuregui, the former attorney general of the state of Chihuahua.

The potential penalty for the charge is a prison sentence ranging from five to 40 years. Federal prosecutors argue that Jáuregui compromised national security by allowing U.S. agents to participate in a field operation without notifying the federal government.

The legal dispute stems from a raid conducted on April 19 in the municipality of Morelos. State officials announced they had dismantled a drug lab in the state's mountains. On the return journey, a vehicle in the convoy left the road and fell into a ravine.

Four people died in the crash: two Mexican 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. At the time, Jáuregui described the Americans as instructor officers engaged in training under binational anti-drug cooperation. He identified the target as one of the largest chemical drug production sites found in the country. No arrests were made during the operation because the suspects fled.

The incident sparked a debate over foreign involvement in Mexican law enforcement and President Claudia Sheinbaum's policy on national sovereignty. Jáuregui resigned to facilitate an inquiry. He 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 indictment. 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. The U.S. State Department said it is monitoring the case but did not connect it directly to the deaths of the two agents.

Legal experts have expressed doubt that the treason charge will stand. Samuel González, a former chief prosecutor for organized crime, noted that treason is typically a wartime crime. He argued that while Jáuregui may have failed in his duties by not informing federal authorities or allowing foreign agents to carry weapons, these actions do not meet the legal standard for treason. Carlos Pérez Ricart of CIDE university described the case as a political decision ahead of the 2027 midterm elections. He warned that the case sends a negative signal to Washington.

Accounts of the Americans' roles have shifted since the crash. U.S. Ambassador Ronald Johnson initially referred to them as embassy personnel. Later, multiple sources familiar with the matter told CBS News they were CIA agents. The CIA declined to comment. Mexico's security ministry stated that one American entered as a visitor and the other held a diplomatic passport. Neither had formal accreditation for operational activities.

Two other U.S. agents traveling in a separate vehicle were later expelled from the country. President Sheinbaum stated that none of the agents had permission to operate in Mexico. The case highlights ongoing tensions over U.S. agency activities in Mexico, which former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador had limited. The current administration amended the Constitution to require express Mexican authorization for such field operations.