Mexico arrests former Chihuahua prosecutor over CIA agents case on Saturday
Mexican police arrested César Jáuregui on Saturday, Expansión Política and El País reported. He was once the top prosecutor in Chihuahua state, and the case is about a drug raid in April that two CIA agents took part in. The federal prosecutor says he is also accused of treason, El País said.
Former Chihuahua state prosecutor César Jáuregui was arrested on Saturday over an April operation in which two CIA agents took part, Expansión Política and El País reported. The quotes and terms below are translated from Spanish.
Jáuregui was detained at 10:20 in the morning, according to Mexico's national detention registry, Expansión Política reported. State police arrested him in the Campestre Washington area of Chihuahua city, the outlet reported. El País said agents of the state prosecutor's office he once led arrested him near his home.
The Chihuahua prosecutor's office is investigating him for "illegal exercise of public service and collusion," Expansión Política and El País reported. Acting state prosecutor Gilberto Loya said evidence confirms foreigners took part in the April operation, El País reported.
Ernestina Godoy, head of the federal prosecutor's office, said Jáuregui was detained on a federal accusation of treason, El País reported. She said he was mainly responsible for letting two CIA agents enter Mexico to take part directly in a raid on organized crime, El País reported. Godoy said the agents visited state police facilities several times "without any justification," according to El País. Such a raid could only be carried out by federal forces, she said, according to El País.
The two CIA agents died in a road accident in April, Expansión Política and El País reported. Expansión Política said the crash was on April 19 and also killed two Chihuahua officials. They were returning from a raid on a drug lab in the mountains, the outlets reported. Jáuregui resigned on April 27, Expansión Política reported.
The case opened a rift between President Claudia Sheinbaum's government and Chihuahua Governor Maru Campos, Expansión Política and El País reported. Jáuregui had been close to Campos but fell out with her, El País reported. This week he posted a video defending himself, the paper said.
Opposition politicians accused the federal government of political persecution of Campos, and Sheinbaum denied that, Expansión Política reported.
What we know: Jáuregui is in custody, facing a state inquiry and a federal treason accusation over the CIA agents' role in the April raid.
What we don't: How he will answer the charges, and whether others will be charged.
Where outlets agree Expansión Política and El País report that César Jáuregui was arrested Saturday and is under state investigation over the CIA agents' role in an April raid.
Where they differ The outlets cited here report the same key facts so far.