Mexico City, Mexico — A joint effort between Mexican and U.S. authorities lead to the seizure of several tons of cocaine. The seizure was made after the Mexican Navy spotted a vessel beyond the Exclusive Economic Zone.
In a coordinated effort between the Mexican Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and the Joint Interagency Task Force of the Southern Command, 188 packages of cocaine were seized.
During the February 11 operation, arrests were made and the vessel also seized along with its suspected packages of cocaine cargo.
The Mexican Navy, acting as the Coast Guard, reports that during maritime surveillance and security operations, approximately 188 packages representing several tons of suspected cocaine were seized.
The packages were pending official weight determination by the competent authorities.
“The seizure was carried out beyond the Exclusive Economic Zone, west of Clarion Island,” they reported.
Through information sharing and with the deployment of units from both the Mexican Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and the Joint Interagency Task Force of the Southern Command (JIATF-South), as part of bilateral and international cooperation efforts to combat illicit activities in the maritime environment.
The detainees, who were read their rights, as well as the seized items, were placed at the disposal of the competent authorities to determine their legal status.
These actions are part of the maritime surveillance operations carried out by the Secretariat of the Navy through the Mexican Navy, to inhibit criminal activity and represent a significant impact on the financial structure of criminal groups.
The Mexican Navy, through its Secretariat of the Navy, maintains maritime and aerial surveillance operations in national waters to deter criminal activity, in order to guarantee and maintain the rule of law in Mexican maritime zones.
