Cancun, Q.R. — At least seven airports across the country are now under guard by the Secretaría de la Marina. Major airports, including Cancun, made the list. On January 19, the Secretariat of the Navy took control of security in at least seven airports in Mexico, replacing the National Guard.
Airports that have seen the change include CDMX, Quintana Roo, Yucatan and Chiapas. The change was carried out on January 19, 2022, which involved the switch from National Guard elements to be replaced by Navy personnel.
The airports effected include Mexico City International Airport (AICM), as well as Cancun and Cozumel in Quintana Roo, Mérida and Kaua (Chichen Itzá) in Yucatán and Tapachula and Tuxtla Gutiérrez in Chiapas.
Last week in terminals 1 and 2 of the CDMX International Airport, 250 elements of the Navy were put in charge of airport passenger and worker safety after the departure of the Guardia Nacional.
Additional airports are likely to be added to the list including the upcoming Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA), which is also known as the Santa Lucía airport, which will be inaugurated in March.
In Cancun, airport managing company Aeropuertos del Sureste (ASUR) was notified of the upcoming change on January 18.
To date, Semar (Secretaría de Marina) has not issued an official statement explaining the reason for these changes, nor have any of the other agencies involved.
In mid-2020, President AMLO instructed the Navy to take control of the country’s ports and 49 customs houses. The country’s military also have a presence in other dependencies such as Cofepris.
