Former Chihuahua Prosecutor Jáuregui Faces 40-Year Treason Penalty

The maximum prison term for the former attorney general of Chihuahua is 40 years, a penalty that hinges on a federal judge's decision this Saturday. The case centers on César Jáuregui's approval of a joint security operation with U.S. agents in April. Prosecutors argue his actions endangered national security by bypassing federal authority.

The incident occurred on April 19 in the municipality of Morelos. A convoy returning from dismantling a drug lab in the state's mountains lost a vehicle that fell into a ravine. Four people died in the crash: two Mexican state officials and two Americans. The Mexican victims were Pedro Román Oseguera Cervantes, first commander of the state investigation agency, and officer Manuel Genaro Méndez Montes.

Jáuregui described the Americans as instructor officers engaged in training under binational anti-drug cooperation at the time of the crash. He stated the labs targeted were among the largest chemical drug production sites found in the country. No arrests were made because the suspects fled the scene. The deaths prompted questions about foreign presence on Mexican soil, a sensitive topic for President Claudia Sheinbaum, who has emphasized national sovereignty.

Jáuregui resigned to allow for an inquiry into the event. He was arrested on October 17 on state charges of illegal exercise of public office. A judge ruled this week that those state charges can proceed to trial. Federal officials subsequently added a treason charge. A federal judge is scheduled to rule on Saturday whether to allow that indictment to move forward.

Federal prosecutors contend that Jáuregui made a decision reserved for the federal government by approving the participation of U.S. agents in a field operation. The treason charge carries a sentence ranging from five to 40 years. Legal experts note that this specific charge is difficult to prove. Defense attorney Héctor Villasana stated that prosecutors indicated a desire for 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 aware of and monitoring the case, though it did not directly link it to the deaths of the two agents. U.S. Ambassador Ronald Johnson identified the deceased as embassy personnel. Multiple people familiar with the matter later told CBS News they were CIA agents. The CIA declined to comment. Mexico's security ministry reported that one agent entered as a visitor and the other with a diplomatic passport. Neither had formal accreditation for operational activities.

Two other U.S. agents traveling in a separate vehicle were expelled from Mexico following the incident. President Sheinbaum stated that none of the agents had permission to operate in the country. Former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador had previously limited such activities. Sheinbaum amended the Constitution to bar field operations without express Mexican authorization.

Carlos Pérez Ricart of CIDE university said the case will have a large public impact even if the charge is dismissed. He described it as a political decision ahead of the 2027 midterm elections and warned it sends a very bad signal to Washington. Samuel González, a former chief prosecutor for organized crime, suggested Jáuregui may have failed in his obligations but that this would not amount to treason, which he described as a wartime crime.