The British ambassador to Mexico has been dismissed from his position after he was seen pointing an assault rifle at a local embassy employee in a car, as reported by various media outlets and evidenced in a circulating video.
The footage, which has been shared on the social media platform X, depicts career diplomat Jon Benjamin aiming the weapon at the individual.
“In a country plagued by daily killings from drug dealers, he dares to joke,” reads the post accompanying the video.
Earlier on Friday, the Financial Times reported that the ambassador had been removed from his post after the incident, which occurred during an official trip to the states of Durango and Sinaloa in April.
Mexico has long struggled with violence linked to the country’s warring drug cartels, resulting in around 30,000 murders annually.
“We are aware of this incident and have taken appropriate action,” said a spokesperson for Britain’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Benjamin’s LinkedIn page indicates that his term as ambassador concluded in May. A biography on the United Kingdom government’s website states that he “was UK Ambassador to Mexico between 2021 and 2024”.
Benjamin and the British embassy in Mexico did not respond to requests for comment.
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