UK ambassador to Mexico absent after video shows him pointing gun near colleague

LONDON — The United Kingdom's ambassador to Mexico has left his post after a video was posted on social media showing him pointing an assault rifle near a colleague.

The Financial Times reported Friday that Jon Benjamin was traveling to Sinaloa and Durango, two states in northern Mexico where drug cartels have a strong presence, when the incident occurred. The video posted on social media platform The five-second clip was posted by an anonymous user with the message: “In the context of daily murders in Mexico by drug traffickers, he dares to joke. »

Although the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has not officially announced any changes at the Mexico embassy, ​​the FCDO website lists him as a former ambassador.

“We are aware of this incident and have taken appropriate action,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement issued in response to questions about the reported incident. “When internal issues arise, the FCDO has robust HR processes in place to resolve them. »

Rachel Brazier has been charge d'affaires at the embassy since April, a role in which a diplomat serves as the embassy's chief of mission in the ambassador's absence.