UK ambassador to Mexico sacked after pointing gun at colleague, FT reports

By Michael Rios, Jessie Gretener and Eve Brennan, CNN

(CNN) — The UK ambassador to Mexico was quietly fired earlier this year after pointing a rifle at a local embassy employee, the Financial Times reported Friday. The incident was captured in a video shared on social media.

The five-second video, published May 26 on an X account called Subdiplomatic, appears to show Jon Benjamin sitting in the front passenger seat of a vehicle, picking up a rifle, and pointing it toward a person sitting in the back. At least one person is heard laughing in the video during the episode.

CNN has reached out to Benjamin but has not received a response.

A spokesperson for the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) told CNN Saturday, “We are aware of this incident and have taken appropriate action,” adding, “Where internal issues do arise the FCDO has robust HR processes to address them.”

People familiar with the matter told the Financial Times that Benjamin was reportedly fired soon after the incident occurred during an official trip to the Mexican states of Durango and Sinaloa in April.

CNN has also contacted the Mexican foreign ministry for comment but has not received a response. When asked for details, the UK embassy in Mexico deferred CNN’s questions to the British foreign office.

The UK government website indicates that Benjamin is no longer an envoy. His biography page reads: “Jon Benjamin was UK Ambassador to Mexico between 2021 and 2024” – and that position is listed under a section titled “Previous roles in government.” The site does not explain why he no longer holds that role.

Mexico – which holds presidential, national and local elections Sunday – faces rampant violent crime, with sky-high crime and homicide rates.

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