By The Rio Times | Created at 2026-09-20 06:56:36 | Updated at 2026-09-20 08:00:30
1 hour ago
The LatAm Brief
One email, every weekday morning. What moved in Latin American markets, politics and expat life.
Yesterday’s subject line: “Bolivia's 83% fuel shock, hours after the IMF loan”
Free. We send a confirmation link first — nothing arrives until you click it. Unsubscribe with one click in any edition. If you stop opening us for 30 days we stop sending by ourselves, as we assume the interest is no longer there. See our privacy policy. We never share your email.
MEXICO · SECURITY, 20 SEPTEMBER 2026
Key Facts
—The meeting — President Claudia Sheinbaum held a private meeting with Chihuahua Governor Maru Campos at the Ciudad Juárez airport at midday on Saturday, 19 September 2026, despite having said a day earlier that no working session was planned.
—The dispute — The two discussed the participation of US intelligence personnel in anti-drug operations in Chihuahua. Two Americans and two Mexican investigators died in a vehicle crash in the municipality of Morelos in April, after an operation against a drug laboratory.
—The agreement — Federal and state governments will work jointly through the Secretariat of Governance and the Secretariat of Security. Sheinbaum said that if any law was violated, action must follow — and Campos agreed.
—The backdrop — The visit came one day after Sheinbaum confirmed a new call with Donald Trump — the call took place on Wednesday, 16 September — and said a tariff deal is advancing. Formal trade talks resume in Washington on 28 September.
A five-month dispute over US agents operating in Chihuahua has produced its first direct meeting between Mexico’s president and the state’s opposition governor. The outcome is modest but real: a channel for joint work, and an agreement that law violations will have consequences.
One-stop reference
Company Intelligence
Every listed company in Latin America — financials, ownership and structure for 1,450+ companies across 26 exchanges, in one place.
What Happened in Juárez on Saturday
Sheinbaum arrived at Abraham González International Airport at midday. Governor María Eugenia Campos Galván, of the opposition PAN party, greeted her there — and the two held a private meeting that had not been on the announced schedule.
On Friday, Sheinbaum had said there would be no working session with the governor. State matters, she had said, would be handled by Interior Secretary Rosa Icela Rodríguez. Saturday’s airport meeting went further than that plan, according to La Jornada’s correspondent in Ciudad Juárez.
After the meeting, Sheinbaum described its core: “We spoke about coordination; what I told her is that in the event there was a violation of any law, action must be taken — she agreed — in case any official of her government acted wrongly, that it proceed.”
The two governments agreed to work jointly through the Secretariat of Governance and the Secretariat of Security, depending on the issue, “for the well-being of the state of Chihuahua,” Sheinbaum said.
The April Crash Behind the Dispute
The disagreement dates to April 2026. Two US personnel and two Mexican investigators died in a vehicle crash in the municipality of Morelos, Chihuahua, following an operation targeting a drug laboratory. Their presence raised questions about the role of American intelligence agents on Mexican soil and who had authorized their work.
Campos described the Americans’ role as “training and assistance” and disputed suggestions that they took part directly in the raid. The conflicting accounts exposed a deeper disagreement between the state and federal governments over how Chihuahua coordinates with US agencies on security matters.
Sovereignty over security operations is a sensitive point in Mexico. Sheinbaum has repeatedly denied reports of unauthorized CIA operations while insisting that any cooperation must respect Mexican law. Saturday’s formula — joint work, with consequences if the law was broken — is the first common position both levels of government have publicly accepted.
What It Means for the Border Economy
Ciudad Juárez and El Paso form one of the largest binational economic zones in North America. Factories, trucking companies and logistics firms on both sides depend on predictable security coordination. A public dispute between the federal government and a border-state governor adds uncertainty that businesses price in quietly.
Campos had requested federal meetings on security, water and cattle exports. Chihuahua shares water resources with the United States, and its ranchers depend on access to US markets. Those files now move to the Secretariat of Governance, which will hold several meetings with the state, according to Sheinbaum.
The timing also matters for trade. One week before formal US-Mexico tariff talks resume in Washington on 28 September, the de-escalation in Chihuahua removes one potential friction point from the table. The Rio Times covered Friday’s confirmation of the latest Trump call and the state of the tariff stack in detail.
What We Could Not Confirm
Whether trade or tariffs were discussed during the airport meeting. Which specific commitments Sheinbaum announced for Chihuahua at the Plaza de la Mexicanidad event itself. The status of any formal investigation into the April crash. And whether the joint channel will produce a written security-coordination protocol — none has been published.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Sheinbaum meet the governor of Chihuahua in Ciudad Juárez?
Governor Maru Campos had requested meetings on security, water and cattle exports. The two also needed to address a months-long dispute over US intelligence personnel operating in the state, after two Americans died in a crash following an anti-drug operation in April 2026.
What did Sheinbaum and Campos agree on?
Joint work between the federal and state governments through the Secretariat of Governance and the Secretariat of Security. Sheinbaum said that if any law was violated in the US agents case, action must be taken — and the governor agreed.
What happened in the April crash in Chihuahua?
Two US personnel and two Mexican investigators died in a vehicle crash in the municipality of Morelos in April 2026, after an operation against a drug laboratory. The Americans’ role in the operation has been disputed by the state and federal governments ever since.
Does this affect the US-Mexico trade talks?
Indirectly. Formal tariff talks resume in Washington on 28 September 2026. Reducing the security dispute between Mexico City and Chihuahua removes one source of friction, but no tariff line has changed and no deal text has been published.
Sources: La Jornada, correspondent report from Ciudad Juárez (19 September 2026); Border Report (18-19 September 2026); KTSM 9 News El Paso (19 September 2026); Reuters (18 September 2026). Quotes from President Sheinbaum as reported by La Jornada.
More: Mexico coverage from The Rio Times.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error
The Rio Times · Power Map
See who really holds power in Latin America
Click to open the Power Map →
