Overview
- César Gustavo Jáuregui Moreno was arrested in Chihuahua on Saturday, October 17, 2026, under a judge’s warrant tied to criminal case 3055/2026 and judicial order 53095/2026 for alleged exercise of public service without authority and coalition.
- The detention follows the April El Pinal operation in the Sierra of Chihuahua where a raid on a clandestine drug lab preceded a vehicle accident that killed two state investigators and two U.S. Embassy personnel later identified as CIA agents.
- Federal and state prosecutors continue parallel investigations to establish who authorized or coordinated the operation and whether Mexican officials allowed unauthorized U.S. participation; the Presidency ordered two CIA agents to leave Mexico in May because they lacked SRE accreditation.
- Governor María Eugenia 'Maru' Campos has publicly blamed Jáuregui for acting without informing her and said the episode exposed control and communication failures inside the state prosecutor’s office; Jáuregui resigned on April 27 and has defended his actions in public statements.
- The arrest order also names Guillermo Zuany Portillo and could lead to further detentions and court proceedings that will shape accountability for institutional lapses and affect Mexico‑U.S. security cooperation and local political dynamics.