Two U.S. Embassy officials were killed early Sunday after helping dismantle clandestine methamphetamine labs in northern Mexico, when their vehicle plunged into a ravine as they returned from the operation. The crash in Chihuahua also killed two senior Mexican law enforcement officials.

The team had just taken part in a joint operation in the mountainous region between Guachochi and Morelos, where authorities located and destroyed two drug labs. Investigators seized large amounts of equipment and materials used in illegal substance production, with one site described by officials as among the largest found in the area.

As the convoy made its way back around 2 a.m., one of the vehicles reportedly skidded while navigating steep terrain and fell into a deep ravine. The car was traveling with several other units, but only the lead vehicle went over the edge. All four occupants were killed at the scene.

Mexican authorities identified the victims as Pedro Román Oseguera Cervantes, director of Chihuahua’s State Investigation Agency, and his bodyguard Manuel Genaro Méndez Montes. The two Americans, who have not been publicly identified, were U.S. Embassy instructors working alongside Mexican forces in a training and advisory role.

U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson said he was “deeply saddened” by the deaths, calling them “a solemn reminder of the risks” faced by those working to protect their communities. The incident comes as ongoing joint efforts between U.S. and Mexican authorities continue to disrupt cartel-linked drug production networks.