British ambassador quits post after ‘pointing gun at staff’

The UK’s ambassador to Mexico reportedly left his post earlier this year after pointing a gun at a local embassy staff member.

A video posted on social media, initially reported by the Financial Times, purports to show Jon Benjamin pointing a rifle at another man while looking down at the gun’s sights.

The text was subtitled: “In the context of the daily murders carried out by drug traffickers in Mexico, he dares to joke.”

Mr Benjamin has yet to comment on what appears to be a misplaced joke.

No official announcement regarding Mr Benjamin’s position has been made by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). But he is no longer listed as ambassador to Mexico on the official government website, which states that he was in office “between 2021 and 2024.”

In the video, a man resembling Mr. Benjamin can be seen moving a gun around the car, pointing it at different people. Laughter can be heard in the background. A man is seen making uncomfortable gestures while the gun is pointed at him.

Mr Benjamin arrived in Mexico after serving in previous posts, including in Ghana and Chile, with a reputation as fairly unconventional by the standards of most British diplomats.

He was very active on social media and had many followers on It was part of a more accessible, less stuffy persona than that conveyed by the other ambassadors.

In Mexico, as in most of his previous posts, Mr. Benjamin believed strongly in the role of the soft power of British rock and indie music. A music enthusiast himself, he encouraged major British bands and artists to visit Mexico, sometimes hosting them at his residence before their concerts.

For decades, for example, he was the Rolling Stones’ main point of contact within the FCDO, helping the supergroup negotiate the tangled red tape of performing live events around the world.

He always seemed fascinated and engaged in Mexico from the start of his 2021 assignment, traveling to many of its 32 states. It was during one of these trips, to the states of Sinaloa and Durango, controlled by drug cartels, that the incident with his team took place.

More than 30,000 people were murdered in Mexico last year. The country has extremely restrictive gun laws and is home to only one gun store, located in a military compound in Mexico City.

The fact that the ambassador was seen brandishing a gun against his team amid so many annual killings due to drug-related violence in Mexico hit even harder for the affected embassy staff — and many Mexicans.

Although it was a joke, the fact that it took place with an apparently loaded machine gun in one of the most dangerous regions of Mexico was a serious miscalculation.

What was supposed to be a routine trip to northern Mexico apparently brought an ignominious end to a very long and otherwise distinguished career with the FCDO.

The FCDO told the Financial Times: “We are aware of this incident and have taken appropriate action.

“When internal issues arise, the FCDO has robust HR processes in place to resolve them.”

The BBC has contacted Mr Benjamin and the FCDO for comment.