CHIHUAHUA, Mexico — Two U.S. officials were killed Sunday in a car crash after a drug-lab raid in northern Mexico, authorities said.
The officials worked for the CIA, according to reporting from the Associated Press that cited a U.S. official. The AP said the CIA involvement was confirmed Tuesday by three individuals familiar with the crash.
The crash occurred as the vehicle was returning from destroying a drug lab operated by criminal groups, Mexican authorities said. Two Mexican investigators were also killed, authorities said.
Initial reports identified the Americans as U.S. Embassy members, according to U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ron Johnson, who is a former CIA employee.
Officials in the United States and Mexico have issued differing accounts of the events leading up to the crash. President Claudia Sheinbaum said Tuesday she did not know the two U.S. officials were part of the CIA but said state officials and the United States “were working together.”
Authorities have not released the roadway, time of day, or the number and type of vehicles involved. The investigation is ongoing, officials said.