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mexico city —
Two instructors and two Mexican employees at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City died Sunday in a car crash in Chihuahua state after an operation targeting a clandestine drug lab, authorities said.
The victims were participants in a training program run by the Chihuahua State Investigation Agency (AEI) and the U.S. Embassy, said state Attorney General Cesar Jauregui Moreno.
Among those killed were AEI regional director Pedro Ramón Oseguera Cervantes, his bodyguard Manuel Genaro Méndez Montes, and two instructors at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico.
Initial reports said the accident occurred on the highway connecting Chihuahua and Ciudad Juárez as authorities were returning from an operation in the city of Morelos. In the city of Morelos, state authorities were dismantling a drug processing laboratory.
Jauregui Moreno confirmed that two US instructors are participating in training operations as part of regular exchanges of security cooperation.
“Unfortunately, two embassy employees who were instructors at the U.S. embassy who were providing training were also killed,” he said.
Ronald Johnson, the US ambassador to Mexico, mourned the deaths in a message about X, saying the victims had dedicated their efforts to confronting “one of the greatest challenges of our time.”
“This tragedy is a sobering reminder of the risks faced by Mexican and U.S. officials who are dedicated to protecting our communities,” Johnson added. “This strengthens our resolve to continue their mission and advance our shared commitment to security, justice, and the protection of our people.”
The incident occurred during bilateral security cooperation between Mexico and the United States, including joint operations against drug trafficking in areas with high concentrations of organized crime, such as Chihuahua.
Authorities have not yet released details on the cause of the accident.
