Mexican Navy crew members dock their vessel at the Bridgetown Port in Bridgetown, Barbados, in May 2024. The Mexican Navy has played a key role in stemming the flow of narcotics in North America. STAFF SGT. ELIZABETH BRYSON/U.S. ARMY
THE WATCH STAFF
Mexico’s Secretariat of the Navy (SEMAR) continues to make great strides in its capabilities and capacity to fight against Mexican criminal organizations involved in drug trafficking. SEMAR has had consecutive record years of narcotic interdictions. In 2023, SEMAR recorded an all-time high in cocaine seizures, nearly surpassing the total amount seized in the previous four years combined, according to Mexico News Daily.
On the operational front, Mexican naval forces have achieved significant tactical gains in recent months, bolstering their campaign to stop the flow of narcotics in North America. In June 2023, a 26-meter submarine was intercepted off the coast of Baja California, carrying 3.5 metric tons of cocaine, the largest such vessel detected in five years. In May 2024, SEMAR seized 1,618 kilograms of cocaine in Colima, just south of Manzanillo. These seizures, announced by SEMAR, totaled nearly 3,000 kilograms, leading to the arrest of five individuals. “These actions, part of the maritime, air, and land surveillance operations carried out by the Ministry of the Navy through the Mexican Navy, inhibit criminal action and maintain the rule of law in the Mexican Marine Zones,” states a SEMAR news release.
More recently, SEMAR, in collaboration with Mexico’s Criminal Investigation Agency, executed eight search warrants in Sinaloa, resulting in the arrest of nine alleged offenders. The search warrants led to the seizure of controlled chemical substances and precursors stored in drums, jars, and bottles containing liquids used in synthetic drug manufacturing. Various equipment and machinery designed to produce illicit tablets were also confiscated. These operations, conducted between May 1 and June 30, 2024, would have produced approximately 6.7 million tablets with an estimated value of $92 million.
On July 6, 2024, SEMAR immobilized 88 tons of glacial acetic acid from China that was intended for import at Manzanillo, Mexico’s largest port by volume. The substance was discovered during a routine inspection by naval personnel and Maritime Customs. Glacial acetic acid is listed by the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) of the U.N. as a precursor in the illicit manufacture of synthetic drugs. “It is urgent to regulate the entry of dual-use substances into Mexico because, without it, criminal groups dedicated to methamphetamine production will continue to increase their output,” a Navy official told Reuters.
SEMAR’s increased success in combating the transport of illegal drugs into the U.S has not gone unnoticed by American authorities. In recent remarks before House and Senate committees, Gen. Gregory M. Guillot, commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), praised SEMAR’s efforts. He highlighted the robust and expanding bilateral cooperation between the U.S and Mexico. “The growing strength of this vital defense relationship has been made evident through our collaborative approach to common defense challenges, and I am extremely proud of USNORTHCOM’s bilateral defense partnership with our Mexican military partners,” Guillot said in his March 2024 testimony. The ongoing collaboration between SEMAR and U.S authorities further strengthens the fight against narcotics trafficking, ensuring a united front.