MEXICO CITY – On Wednesday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum took a firm stance against a CNN report alleging the CIA’s involvement in deadly operations on Mexican soil. She accused the news organization of attempting to undermine the Mexican government and its people.
The controversy erupted after CNN reported that the CIA had facilitated a targeted assassination of a Sinaloa cartel member on a highway near Mexico City. This claim ignited a significant backlash within Mexico. Subsequently, the New York Times reported that while Mexican forces executed the attack, the CIA was involved in the planning and support.
Sheinbaum dismissed the CNN report as a “lie,” and when questioned about the New York Times article during her morning press briefing, she labeled it as “a fiction the size of the universe.”
In response, Liz Lyons, a CIA spokesperson, criticized the CNN report on social media, stating, “this is false and salacious reporting that serves as nothing more than a PR campaign for the cartels and puts American lives at risk.”
A spokesperson for CNN countered that the CIA had been given details of the report prior to its publication but chose not to comment at that time. The network reaffirmed its confidence in the accuracy of its reporting, despite Sheinbaum’s claims.
Following the publication, a CNN spokesperson noted that while Liz Lyons released a statement labeling the report as false, she did not specify which details were inaccurate. Meanwhile, the New York Times also stood by its reporting, with Charlie Stadtlander, the executive director of media relations, asserting confidence in their findings.
Sheinbaum’s approach to criticism contrasts with that of her mentor and predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who frequently attacked journalists during his press briefings. While Sheinbaum has maintained a more measured tone, she faces increasing scrutiny amid scandals involving the U.S.
The Mexican president is under pressure to sustain a solid relationship with Washington, particularly as negotiations around a free-trade agreement intensify, alongside threats from U.S. President Donald Trump regarding cartel actions.
Sheinbaum has consistently emphasized Mexico’s sovereignty, a narrative that has come under scrutiny, particularly following the deaths of two CIA agents in a car crash while returning from an anti-narcotics operation in the northern state of Chihuahua. The incident has raised questions about the extent of U.S. involvement in Mexican affairs.
Adding to the tension, a New York court recently charged the governor of Sinaloa—a high-ranking member of Sheinbaum’s party and an ally of López Obrador—with drug trafficking and weapons offenses, alleging his involvement in facilitating the massive importation of narcotics into the U.S.
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Jocelyn Noveck contributed to this report from New York.
