Fugitive Mexican prosecutor accused of allowing CIA agents into Chihuahua security operations

Guillermo Zuany vanished in May; case file details CIA participation in deadly anti-drug raid that triggered political crisis

By LineZotpaper

Published23 October 2026

Read Time3 min

Guillermo Zuany Portillo, the former special prosecutor for strategic operations in Mexico's Chihuahua state who is accused of giving CIA agents broad access to the state attorney general's office, has been on the run since mid-May and faces charges of unlawful exercise of public office and making false statements, according to investigative documents obtained by EL PAÍS. The case has fueled a political firestorm between the federal government of President Claudia Sheinbaum and Chihuahua's opposition governor, María Eugenia Campos, after two CIA agents and two Mexican officials died in a road accident following an April anti-drug operation in which the U.S. agents participated.

An investigative file into the April 17-18 anti-drug operation in the community of El Pinal, municipality of Morelos, has revealed that four CIA agents, not two as previously thought, took part in the raid. The operation targeted clandestine synthetic drug laboratories described by former state Attorney General César Jáuregui as "one of the largest ever found in the country."

According to documents shared with EL PAÍS, the agents had been working closely with the Chihuahua Attorney General's Office since at least January, entering and leaving the state sometimes as tourists and at other times as "embassy personnel," a term used by U.S. Ambassador Ronald Johnson in a social media post mourning their deaths. Video evidence shows the agents on April 17 departing for El Pinal wearing tactical gear without CIA insignia but bearing state security force uniforms.

The crash that killed CIA officers Richard Leiter Johnston III, 35, and John Dudley Black, 43, occurred on the return trip in the municipality of Batopilas. Their vehicle plunged about 200 meters down a ravine and exploded after hitting gasoline containers. Also killed was Pedro Ramón Oseguera Cervantes, head of the State Investigative Agency, who had been appointed months earlier. Zuany allegedly ordered the recovery of the deceased agents' personal belongings.

Zuany, who had his U.S. visa revoked and later reinstated before the operation, resigned his post on May 13 and emptied his office. He is now a fugitive. Jáuregui resigned on April 27, acknowledging failure to disclose foreign personnel involvement, and faces state charges plus a federal charge of treason.

The operation itself encountered no resistance; the site appeared abandoned. Federal forces were notified only after state agents had secured the area. The political fallout has included accusations of treason from the ruling Morena party against the opposition PAN state government, and counter-accusations of collusion with organized crime.

Analysis

Why This Matters

The case exposes the extent of U.S. intelligence involvement in Mexican security operations, which the federal government says violates national sovereignty.
The deaths of CIA agents and Mexican officials have intensified a bitter political confrontation between President Sheinbaum's administration and the opposition-run state of Chihuahua.
Zuany's flight prevents full accountability; his capture could reveal more about the chain of command and whether Governor Campos authorized CIA participation.

Background

The scandal erupted in April 2025 after an anti-drug operation in remote mountain communities of Chihuahua turned deadly when the vehicle carrying state investigators and CIA officers crashed. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum accused Chihuahua Governor María Eugenia Campos of allowing foreign agents to operate without federal authorization, calling it a breach of Mexico's sovereignty. The federal Attorney General's Office filed treason charges against former state Attorney General César Jáuregui. Zuany, appointed to the strategic operations unit in September 2024, had previously served in anti-kidnapping investigations.

Key Perspectives

Mexican federal government (Morena party): Views the CIA operation as a violation of national sovereignty and a secret arrangement that led to deaths. President Sheinbaum has demanded accountability and charged Jáuregui with treason. Chihuahua state government (PAN): Former Attorney General Jáuregui admitted failing to disclose the CIA presence but has denied broader wrongdoing. Governor Campos established a special investigative unit and has faced calls for impeachment from Morena supporters. Critics/Skeptics: The lack of resistance at the drug lab site raises questions about the operation's necessity and whether intelligence was accurate. Zuany's disappearance also fuels speculation about who else may have authorized the arrangement.

What to Watch

Whether Mexican federal authorities locate and arrest Zuany, and what information he may provide about the chain of command.
The outcome of Governor Campos's impeachment proceedings in the state congress.
Potential diplomatic fallout between Mexico and the United States over the unauthorized CIA presence and the handling of the incident.

Sources

The Mexican prosecutor who let CIA agents into Chihuahua fled in May and remains at large · El País English

Checked

9 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 6 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedZuany is accused of giving CIA agents broad access to Chihuahua security operations.El País English: “Much of that involvement stemmed from their close relationship with Guillermo Arturo Zuany Portillo, then the state’s special prosecutor for strategic operations, who is said to have given them broad access to the institution.”
SupportedThe case file says four CIA agents, rather than two, took part in the April operation in El Pinal.El País English: “It was not two but four CIA agents who took part in an April anti-drug operation in the community of El Pinal”
Partly supportedThe four CIA agents took part in the raid that targeted the drug laboratories.El País English: “Authorities have maintained that the CIA agents played no direct role in the dismantling of the drug laboratory targeted in the operation.”
SupportedThe April operation and deaths triggered a political crisis between the federal government and Chihuahua.El País English: “leaving two CIA agents and two Chihuahua officials dead, and triggering one of the most serious political crises of the administration of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.”
SupportedZuany has been missing since mid-May, is a fugitive, and is wanted on charges of unlawful exercise of public office and making false statements.El País English: “The former official has been missing since mid-May, when he resigned and emptied his office. He is now wanted on charges of unlawful exercise of public office and making false statements to authorities. Zuany ... remains a fugitive.”
Partly supportedFederal forces were notified only after state agents had secured the area.El País English: “He acknowledged that the site was not formally secured until federal authorities were notified and Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office (FGR) took over the case.”
Partly supportedThe crash vehicle plunged about 200 metres down a ravine and exploded after hitting gasoline containers.El País English: “The vehicle fell about 200 meters down a ravine and, because it was carrying gasoline containers for refueling in the remote mountain region, exploded on impact.”
SupportedJáuregui described the drug-lab site as “one of the largest ever found in the country.”El País English: ““It is one of the largest ever found in the country,” Jáuregui boasted during a press conference.”
SupportedThe crash killed CIA agents Richard Leiter Johnston III, 35, and John Dudley Black, 43, and State Investigative Agency head Pedro Ramón Oseguera Cervantes.El País English: “The crash killed CIA agents Richard Leiter Johnston III, 35, and John Dudley Black, 43.”