The British ambassador to Mexico is apparently no longer at his post after pointing his gun at staff

MEXICO CITY – Britain’s Foreign Office has apparently fired its ambassador to Mexico, Jon Benjamin, following controversy sparked by a video of him joking while pointing a high-powered rifle at staff in a vehicle.

The British government website on Friday described the veteran diplomat as ambassador to Mexico in the past tense, although no details were given. Benjamin’s official biography on the government website says he “served as ambassador to Mexico from 2021 to 2024,” without further details.

Asked by The Associated Press about Benjamin and the video, a government statement said: “We are aware of this incident and have taken appropriate action. Where internal issues arise, the FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) has robust Human Resources processes in place to address them.”

In the video, which was reportedly taken during Benjamin’s trip to the northern Mexican state of Durango, the diplomat is seen sitting in the passenger seat, wielding an assault rifle and pointing it at colleagues in the back seat, smiling.

The video appears to have been shot on a cell phone. Laughter can be heard in the background and the target person makes a surprised gesture.

Benjamin is a 35-year-old career diplomat who headed the Diplomatic Academy in London and was responsible for designing a program to “teach the diplomatic and linguistic skills needed to implement British foreign policy.”

Before serving in Mexico, he represented the United Kingdom in Chile, Ghana, Turkey, Indonesia and the United States.

Related Posts