The investigation into the discovery of an alleged methamphetamine megalaboratory in the state of Chihuahua (northern Mexico) escalated after the Attorney General's Office (FGR) confirmed that Mexican soldiers were called to testify for their participation in the operation where two alleged agents linked to the CIA and two state officials died.

The case has generated political and diplomatic tension between Mexico and the United States, amid growing pressure from Washington for the Mexican government to intensify the fight against trafficking in fentanyl and other synthetic drugs operated by criminal cartels.

Ulises Lara López, head of the Prosecutor's Office Specialized in Investigation of Relevant Matters and spokesperson for the FGR, reported that the elements of the Secretariat of National Defense were cited only for having carried out perimeter security work after the discovery of the clandestine laboratory located in the Sierra del Pinal, in the municipality of Morelos, Chihuahua.

As the official explained, the military did not directly participate in the dismantling of the site, considered by Mexican authorities to be one of the largest synthetic drug production complexes recently detected in the country.

The FGR also indicated that the property remains under federal protection while the work of packaging, analyzing and transporting thousands of liters of chemical substances and specialized equipment found during the operation continues.

They investigate possible violation of Mexican laws

The federal agency also opened an investigation file for possible crimes related to the illicit exercise of powers and impacts on national security, after the alleged participation of US agents in field work within Mexican territory was revealed.

According to the prosecutor's office, about 50 officials have been called to testify, including personnel from the Attorney General's Office of the State of Chihuahua and commanders involved in the operation.

The authorities seek to determine if there was a ministerial investigation prior to the discovery of the laboratory and if the operation was carried out in accordance with the standards established by Mexican legislation.

The case gained national relevance after on April 19, two agents allegedly linked to the United States Embassy and two members of the Chihuahua State Investigation Agency died in a vehicle accident while returning from the anti-drug operation.

The vehicle in which they were traveling lost control and fell into a ravine on the Chihuahua-Ciudad Juárez highway, according to official reports.

Subsequently, the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, assured that the Mexican Army was unaware of the presence of foreign civilians during the intervention, since the US agents allegedly wore state corporation uniforms and covered their faces.

Political pressure grows in Chihuahua

The controversy also intensified the political confrontation between the federal government and Chihuahua state authorities, led by Governor María Eugenia Campos, known as Maru Campos.

Mexican media reported that the FGR does not rule out summoning high-level officials to clarify who authorized the presence of foreign personnel in the operation and under what legal framework they acted.

Sources close to the investigation indicated that the interviews began with operational agents and could extend to senior officials of the state prosecutor's office.

Meanwhile, the federal prosecutor's office is trying to identify the owners of the property used as a drug laboratory and track down possible companies that supply chemicals and industrial equipment used in the manufacture of synthetic drugs.

The case occurs at a particularly delicate moment for the bilateral relationship between Mexico and the United States, marked by the demands of the US government to stop the trafficking of fentanyl into North American territory and by recent accusations against Mexican officials for alleged links with drug trafficking groups.