Mexico revives rare treason charge against former Chihuahua prosecutor Jauregui

Mexican federal prosecutors on Wednesday charged former Chihuahua state prosecutor Cesar Jauregui with treason, reviving one of the most serious and rarely used crimes in Mexico’s legal system.

Federal authorities allege Jauregui allowed US personnel to take part in an April operation against a suspected drug laboratory in the northern border state without the authorisation required under Mexican law.

Jauregui, who served as Chihuahua attorney general from 2023 to 2026 and is a member of the opposition PAN party, was arrested over the weekend. A judge must still determine whether there is enough evidence to proceed with the case.

Attorney General Ernestina Godoy alleged Jauregui improperly allowed foreign agents to carry out functions reserved exclusively for Mexico’s federal government and withheld information he was required to share.

The raid only came to light after two of the US agents were killed in a car crash returning from the scene, drawing scrutiny from President Claudia Sheinbaum and pitting her against opposition Governor Maru Campos.

A judge ordered Jauregui held in pretrial detention, with a follow-up hearing scheduled for Saturday.

Mexico has not recorded a widely recognised conviction for treason since 1867, when Emperor Maximilian of Habsburg was condemned and executed after the government of Benito Juarez concluded his French-backed empire violated the country’s independence.

“The treason charge… seeks to set a precedent and prevent cooperation between (Mexican) states and the US government without the federal government’s coordination and approval,” said Matias Gomez Leautaud, an analyst at Eurasia Group.

Source: Reuters