Two CIA officers and two Mexican state agents died in a vehicle crash hours after destroying a major cartel drug production facility in Chihuahua; Mexico's president stated the federal government was not informed of the operation, creating a bilateral diplomatic complication.

A CJNG leader-targeting operation triggered retaliatory violence and widespread mobility disruption in western Mexico—hitting Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara—before partial normalization by Feb. 24, with lingering curfews for U.S. personnel and aggressive public reassurance tied to World Cup hosting.