Mexico City, Mexico — A Mexican plane that was bound for Aruba was shot down by Bolivian military Wednesday after illegally entering Venezuelan air space. The incident was reported publicly by GJ. Domingo Hernández Lárez, the Strategic Operational Commander of the Bolivian National Armed Forces (FANB), on his social media.
According to Hernández Lárez, “Sabreliner aircraft registration XB-RXG from Mexico bound for Reina Beatrix airport, Aruba, changed course and illegally entered Venezuelan airspace, being disabled by the comprehensive aerospace defensive system on a clandestine runway in Zulia state,” he reported.
The Mexican plane was “disabled” along the border in the state of Zuila on a clandestine runway, Hernández Lárez, Comandante Estratégico Operacional de la FANB, reported on Wednesday.
Photos accompanying the social media report show the plane broken into pieces and partially burned. In a separate message, Hernández Lárez said it was the 31st aircraft “disabled” since 2012 for illegally entering Venezuelan airspace.
Numerous social media Twitter posts by Hernández Lárez before and after this post refer to the “tancol”, a term created to refer to non-specific armed criminal gangs and illegal drug activity from Colombia, however, he did not directly refer to the Mexican plane as a “tancol”.
There is no word on fatalities in the downed plane from Mexico. The Government of Mexico has not issued a public statement.
