Mexico's President Says Prosecutors Will Review Soldier's Family Complaint
Mexico's federal prosecutors will assess a complaint from the family of Richard Halliday, a U.S. soldier missing since July 2020, accusing Chihuahua Governor Maru Campos. President Claudia Sheinbaum said the FGR will evaluate the complaint and that, as far as she knows, it has no proof Campos directly ordered the operation. The complaint is tied to Mexico's treason case over U.S. agents in Chihuahua.
Richard Halliday, a Fort Bliss soldier, disappeared in July 2020. His father, Robert, a retired Army lieutenant colonel, sent a complaint to Mexico’s federal prosecutor’s office on 27 May 2026. The Chihuahua state file on the disappearance opened in October 2020 and closed in April 2023.
The complaint alleges that Governor Maru Campos misled federal authorities about US agents in Chihuahua and questions a 2022 agreement with Texas Governor Greg Abbott. It also names prosecutor Carlos Manuel Salas. The allegations remain unproven; state prosecutors reject a reported link to an April 2026 operation, and no federal case has been confirmed.
The case could affect relatives of missing people by keeping attention on how state and federal authorities handle such files, though it may also deepen uncertainty for families awaiting answers. Because it intersects with a treason inquiry involving US agents, it may complicate security cooperation between Mexico and Washington, potentially affecting officials and communities in Chihuahua. The allegations are unproven, so any impact would depend on whether prosecutors act and what evidence emerges.