Mexico City, April 25 (NationPress) — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum firmly declared on Friday, April 25 that Mexico's sovereignty is "not negotiable," categorically rejecting any form of foreign interference — especially from the United States — following the revelation that US CIA agents were covertly operating inside Mexican territory during an anti-narcotics mission in the northern state of Chihuahua.

Sheinbaum's Sovereignty Warning at Friday Press Conference

Speaking at her daily morning press conference, President Sheinbaum stated that any cooperation between Mexico and foreign nations must strictly adhere to Mexico's Constitution and national security legislation. She acknowledged that the bilateral relationship with Washington is grounded in coordination and cooperation, but drew a firm line against unilateral covert action on Mexican soil.

She specifically demanded clarity on whether foreign intelligence personnel were directly involved in the Chihuahua operation, warning that such participation, if confirmed without authorisation, would constitute a clear violation of Mexican law.

Sheinbaum also criticised voices within Mexico who have called for foreign intervention in domestic affairs, asserting that all levels of government and ordinary citizens are bound by national laws and must not invite external overreach.

CIA Agents Killed in Chihuahua: What Actually Happened

The controversy erupted after two US Embassy personnel died in a vehicle accident in Chihuahua on Sunday, April 20. Local Mexican authorities initially described the victims as instructors engaged in routine training exchanges with Mexican counterparts.

However, The Washington Post reported a starkly different account — that the two individuals were Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) agents participating in an active anti-narcotics operation aimed at dismantling a clandestine drug laboratory in the Chihuahua mountains, a rugged region bordering the US state of Texas.

The discrepancy between the official Mexican account and the investigative report triggered a diplomatic storm, forcing President Sheinbaum to address the matter publicly on multiple occasions within the same week.

Federal Government Says It Had No Prior Knowledge

As early as April 22, Sheinbaum had publicly stated that the federal government had absolutely no prior knowledge of CIA agents conducting operations inside Mexico. She described the presence of US agents in an organised crime operation in Chihuahua as something that "should not be taken lightly," framing it as a direct matter of national security and sovereignty.

"We are verifying whether they were accredited or not," she said at Wednesday's press conference, signalling that the government was conducting a thorough internal review of the agents' legal status in Mexico.

She emphasised unequivocally: "Any relationship with the US government, particularly on security matters, must go through the federal government," and reiterated that no US government agents should operate on Mexican soil without explicit authorisation from Mexico City.

Diplomatic Action: Letters to US Ambassador and State Governors

In a concrete diplomatic response, the Mexican Foreign Ministry dispatched a formal letter to the US Ambassador to Mexico requesting full disclosure of all relevant information and confirmation that the agents' activities did not form part of any established bilateral security protocol.

Sheinbaum also announced that her administration is sending letters to all state governors across Mexico, instructing them to ensure that any cooperation with foreign agencies is legally compliant, coordinated through the Foreign Ministry, and sanctioned by the Security Cabinet.

The move signals a systemic tightening of oversight over foreign agency activity at the subnational level — a gap that the Chihuahua incident has exposed in stark terms.

Broader Implications: US-Mexico Security Relations at a Crossroads

This episode arrives against a backdrop of escalating tensions between Mexico and the United States over drug cartel policy, border security, and sovereignty. The Trump administration had previously floated the idea of direct US military involvement against Mexican cartels, a proposition Sheinbaum has consistently and forcefully rejected.

Critics argue that the covert CIA operation — if confirmed — represents precisely the kind of unilateral action that Mexico has warned against. The incident also raises uncomfortable questions about whether similar undisclosed operations have taken place in other Mexican states without federal knowledge.

Notably, Chihuahua — a vast state sharing a long border with Texas — has long been a flashpoint in the US-Mexico drug war, making it a likely theatre for intelligence activity. The fact that two agents lost their lives there suggests the operation was active and operational, not merely observational.

As Mexico awaits the US Embassy's formal response to the Foreign Ministry's letter, the coming days will be critical in determining whether this incident strains the bilateral security framework or prompts a renegotiation of the terms under which foreign agencies can operate on Mexican territory. All eyes will be on the next scheduled diplomatic exchange between Mexico City and Washington.