Mexican Prosecutor Guillermo Zuany Flees to U.S. Under Protection Amid Arrest Warrant
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Nov 12
Mexican Prosecutor Guillermo Zuany Flees to U.S. Under Protection Amid Arrest Warrant
2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Nov 12
Summary
Guillermo Zuany Portillo, a former Chihuahua prosecutor, fled to the United States to avoid capture and is now under U.S. government protection, according to U.S. and Mexican officials.
Mexican authorities issued arrest orders after accusing him of helping CIA officers operate in Chihuahua for more than six months, including training state forces, joining counter-cartel missions and sometimes carrying arms during raids.
The case erupted after an April car crash killed 2 CIA officers and exposed the covert presence, prompting Zuany's resignation and a sovereignty dispute with President Claudia Sheinbaum, who said the investigation must continue.
The widening fallout already includes the arrest of former Chihuahua attorney general César Jáuregui on treason charges, while Zuany's U.S. visa was first canceled over alleged cartel ties and later reinstated.
Why did the US protect a Mexican fugitive wanted for treason after a covert CIA operation ended in fatal disaster?
How will Mexico retaliate against the revelation that foreign intelligence officers secretly embedded with local police to bypass national sovereignty?
Were the failed CIA-backed cartel raids deliberately compromised by local insiders before the fatal crash exposed the secret operation?
Mexico’s Treason Crackdown: How the 2026 CIA-Chihuahua Scandal Redefined U.S.-Mexico Security Cooperation
Overview
In 2025, the CIA reinstated prosecutor Guillermo Zuany’s U.S. visa in exchange for his help running covert operations in Chihuahua, Mexico. Zuany, despite alleged cartel ties, gave the CIA access to local police missions. Sensitive plans leaked, and cartel leaders repeatedly escaped raids. In April 2026, a car crash killed two CIA and two Mexican officers, exposing the secret U.S. presence. The scandal forced Chihuahua’s attorney general to resign and led to treason charges against state officials. Zuany fled to the U.S. under government protection, sparking a major diplomatic crisis and prompting Mexico’s president to centralize all foreign security cooperation.