The CIA's shadow grows larger over Mexico

"CNN reported that the CIA had facilitated the attack that killed Francisco Beltran, alias El Payin, a mid-level figure in the criminal organization, on March 28. Beltran was in a pickup truck with his driver on a highway near Mexico City. The driver had picked him up from Felipe Angeles Airport, one of the two airports serving the metropolitan area. Video footage from a passing car shows the explosion and then the truck veering across several lanes before crashing. Both men died instantly."

"Both governments have denied the information, with varying degrees of intensity. The news broke Tuesday afternoon. In a report co-authored by eight people, CNN reported that the CIA had facilitated the attack that killed Francisco Beltran, alias El Payin, a mid-level figure in the criminal organization, on March 28. Beltran was in a pickup truck with his driver on a highway near Mexico City."

"On Tuesday, hours after the CNN report, and following statements from both governments denying the information, The New York Times clarified the matter, noting that the CIA had provided intelligence and planning for the operation, but that none of its agents had acted on the ground. The newspaper asserted that Mexican authorities had carried out th"

Tensions between Mexico and the United States have escalated rapidly, straining security cooperation that previously functioned smoothly. Reports from U.S. media described a growing CIA presence in Mexico and alleged CIA involvement in a March car bomb attack targeting a mid-level Sinaloa Cartel figure near the capital. CNN reported that the CIA facilitated the attack that killed Francisco Beltran, also known as El Payin, on March 28. Beltran was traveling in a pickup truck with his driver on a highway near Mexico City after being picked up from Felipe Angeles Airport. Video footage showed the explosion, the truck veering across lanes, and a crash that killed both men instantly. Both governments denied the claims, and the New York Times later stated that the CIA provided intelligence and planning without agents acting on the ground.

Read at english.elpais.com