President Claudia Sheinbaum said an investigation into Chihuahua Governor María Eugenia "Maru" Campos is about national sovereignty rather than political persecution.
The probe highlights a growing tension between Mexico's federal government and state leadership regarding the legal limits of foreign security cooperation. If the federal government proves that U.S. agents operated within Mexico without proper constitutional authorization, it could lead to severe legal consequences for state officials.
Sheinbaum addressed the matter on May 7, 2026 [1], rejecting assertions that the Federal Attorney General's (FGR) investigation is a politically motivated attack. The president said the inquiry focuses on the defense of national sovereignty following an operation in Chihuahua where U.S. agents participated [2].
According to federal reports, the investigation seeks to determine if the government of Governor Campos collaborated with U.S. forces in a manner that falls outside the Mexican constitution [2]. This legal scrutiny comes amid calls from the Morena party for a political trial against the governor [3].
Sheinbaum said she would not intervene in the Morena party's request for a political trial [3]. The president said the FGR is acting independently to ensure that foreign entities do not bypass national laws when operating on Mexican soil [2].
Governor Campos has previously called for mutual respect between the state and federal levels of government [4]. She has avoided providing specific responses regarding the CIA's potential involvement in the operations under investigation [4].
The clash underscores the sensitivity of border security operations in Chihuahua, where the intersection of state, federal, and foreign interests often creates jurisdictional friction.
“The probe highlights a growing tension between Mexico's federal government and state leadership.”
This investigation signals a strict enforcement of sovereignty protocols by the Sheinbaum administration. By framing the probe as a constitutional matter rather than a political one, the federal government is asserting that no state governor has the authority to bypass national protocols when coordinating with foreign intelligence or security agencies, regardless of the operational goals.
