Semar seizes 11.7 tons of drugs so far in October

Gustavo Castillo García

La Jornada Newspaper
Sunday, October 20, 2024, p. 5

In the first days of this federal administration, the Mexican Navy Secretariat (Semar) has secured 11,752 kilos of cocaine in high-risk maritime operations, combating drug trafficking on the high seas. Of that total, in recent days, 8,361 were seized in a single operation off the coasts of Guerrero and Michoacán, and in addition to having arrested 23 traffickers, five boats with outboard motors and a semi-submersible were seized.

In this last operation, which included pursuit by sea and air, the largest amount of drugs seized in a maritime operation, unprecedented in the history of the institutionand according to their estimates it represents a blow worth 2,099 million pesos.

From January 2023 to date, three semi-submersibles have been seized, vessels that are dragged by high-tonnage vessels that disguise their drug transfer operations with alleged legal fishing actions and that can depart from Colombian coasts to national territory, indicated sources from the Navy.

Regarding the operation announced on Friday by Semar, in addition to the drugs, 8,700 liters of fuel were seized, during monitoring, in a surface unit, during maritime surveillance patrols and with the support of a Panther helicopter.

During this operation, five boats called go-fast were seized, with several crew members and using outboard motors. In the first case, eight subjects were arrested and 2,105 kilograms of drugs were seized, as well as 38 drums with a volume of 1,250 liters of fuel.

The second seized vessel was equipped with three outboard motors and was driven by three crew members who were transporting 125 drums containing 5,950 liters of fuel, as well as 49 packages of drugs weighing 1,102 kilograms.

The third boat, with two outboard motors, was carrying 1,200 kilograms of cocaine and 24 drums with 400 liters of fuel.

The fourth assurance included a semi-submersible type vessel with three outboard motors approximately 15 meters long, in which 93 packages of drugs weighing 2,179 kilograms, as well as drums with fuel, were transported.. It is a boat with a fiberglass deck, driven by submersible motors and the level at which it could be detected above the waves could reach five feet.

The fifth and sixth vessels were seized, with six crew members on board, three outboard motors, 75 packages weighing 1,774 kilograms of drugs and 950 liters of fuel.