Federal Judge Rules Saturday on Treason Case for Ex-Chihuahua Prosecutor

César Jáuregui, the former attorney general of Chihuahua, faces a federal ruling this Saturday that will determine if he stands trial for treason. The decision could result in a sentence of up to 40 years in prison if the indictment survives legal challenge.

The case stems from an April operation to dismantle a drug laboratory in the municipality of Morelos. On April 19, the Chihuahua Attorney General's Office confirmed the lab was destroyed in the state's mountains. During the return journey, one vehicle in the convoy veered off the road and fell into a ravine. The crash killed two Mexican state 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. Jáuregui described the Americans at the time as instructor officers participating in binational anti-drug cooperation. He called the targeted facility one of the largest chemical drug production sites found in the country. No arrests were made because the suspects fled the scene.

Federal prosecutors allege that Jáuregui endangered national security by approving the participation of U.S. agents in a field operation. They argue that such decisions are reserved for the federal government. The treason charge carries a penalty range of five to 40 years, though legal experts note it is difficult to prove.

Defense attorney Héctor Villasana stated that prosecutors requested an exemplary punishment during a closed hearing. He said they cited the desire 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 directly link it to the deaths of the two agents.

Legal analysts question the strength of the treason claim. Samuel González, a former chief prosecutor for organized crime, argued that while Jáuregui may have failed to inform federal authorities, that error does not meet the definition of treason, which he described as a wartime crime. Carlos Pérez Ricart of CIDE University said the case is a political move ahead of the 2027 midterm elections. He warned the prosecution sends a negative signal to Washington.

Accounts of the Americans' roles have differed. U.S. Ambassador Ronald Johnson referred to them as embassy personnel, while multiple people familiar with the matter told CBS News they were CIA agents. The CIA declined to comment. Mexico's security ministry said 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 expelled from the country. President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that none of the agents had permission to operate in Mexico. The Constitution was recently amended to bar field operations without express Mexican authorization, a change aimed at clarifying the role of foreign agencies on Mexican soil.