Puerto Chiapas, Chiapas — More than 1,100 kilos of cocaine has been found floating in the sea near Puerto Chiapas. Navy personnel collected the floating packages and secured them while arresting two who attempted to flee.
The Secretary of the Navy reported locating two people and boats believed used in the shipment that went awry off the coast of Chiapas earlier this week when they collected 1,119 kilos of packaged cocaine from the water.
The agency says two people were captured southwest of Puerto Chiapas suspected of transporting the illegal substance. A fishing boat and small vessel were also seized.
Navy personnel reported sighting a fishing boat approximately 341 nautical miles (631.5 kilometers) southwest of Puerto Chiapas. By the time they arrived, crew had already dumped the packages overboard and took off in another vessel.
In a bulletin, they said “when continuing with the operation and carrying out an inspection in exercise of the Right of Visit in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the two people who had previously been seen on board the fishing vessel were on board the smaller vessel, as well as various electronic monitoring equipment.
“The above facts led to the reasonable assumption that both vessels, as well as their crew members, were involved in illicit activities.” A total of 29 nylon sacks of cocaine were pulled from the sea.
In the last 15 days, navy personnel have seize about 2,000 kilos of cocaine off the coast of Chiapas. On February 17, navy personnel from Guerrero arrested five crew and seized one vessel in another maritime surveillance operation off the coast of Chiapas.
In that operation, 716,488 kilograms of cocaine and approximately 100 liters of fuel were seized in addition to a vessel with two outboard motors.
