CIA Facilitated March 28 Killing of Sinaloa Operative in Expanded Mexico Campaign
Updated
Updated · CNN · May 12
CIA Facilitated March 28 Killing of Sinaloa Operative in Expanded Mexico Campaign
10 articles · Updated · CNN · May 12
March 28 footage and officials' accounts indicate a hidden explosive killed alleged Sinaloa operative Francisco Beltran and his driver on a highway near Mexico City in a targeted assassination facilitated by CIA officers.
Sources told CNN the strike was part of a broader Ground Branch campaign that since last year has directly supported or joined lethal operations against mostly mid-level cartel figures to dismantle trafficking networks.
That campaign expanded after Trump designated major cartels foreign terrorist organizations and widened CIA authority for lethal covert action in Latin America, while the agency also increased drone surveillance over Mexico.
Mexican law may bar such foreign participation without federal approval, and President Claudia Sheinbaum has already objected after a separate Chihuahua raid involving CIA operatives was not cleared with her government.
The covert push reflects deep US distrust of Mexican institutions' cartel infiltration and raises risks of political fallout, legal conflict and cartel retaliation spilling across the border.
Is the CIA's 'kingpin strategy' in Mexico dismantling cartels or just creating deadlier and more chaotic power vacuums?
With cartels now labeled as terrorists, what are the hidden risks for civilians and legitimate businesses caught in the crossfire?
The Chihuahua Incident and Its Fallout: U.S.-Mexico Covert Operations, Cartel Violence, and the 2026 Diplomatic Crisis
Overview
In April 2026, a car crash in Chihuahua, Mexico, killed two CIA officers and two Mexican officials, immediately sparking a diplomatic crisis between the United States and Mexico. The incident drew intense scrutiny over the presence and activities of foreign personnel in Mexico, with conflicting accounts about the CIA officers’ roles. Mexican official Wendy Paola Chávez stated that four foreigners involved were dressed as civilians, had their faces mostly covered, and carried no weapons or identification, clarifying they worked directly with the head of the state investigative agency who also died. This event highlighted deep tensions over sovereignty and security cooperation.