The Mexican Navy has seized a record amount of drugs at sea in recent months, including more than 15,000 kilograms during the first weeks of President Claudia Sheinbaum’s term. SEMAR
THE WATCH STAFF
Since the beginning of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration in October 2024, the Mexican Navy has seized 15,361 kilograms of drugs at sea, according to a news release from the Secretariat of the Navy. The latest bust occurred off the coast of Acapulco when a go-fast vessel, a type of speedboat commonly used for drug smuggling, was spotted ferrying 3,600 kilograms of cocaine. Sheinbaum’s administration has promised to confront illegal trafficking of drugs to the U.S. homeland through improved intelligence and investigative work, and the first weeks of her administration have seen numerous interdictions at sea.
This most recent bust occurred 133 nautical miles southeast of Acapulco in the state of Guerrero when the go-fast vessel with nine crew members and 102 brick-like packages was detected by a Mexican aircraft in early November 2024. A naval vessel interdicted the boat, arrested the crew members and seized the drugs, the news release stated. “Naval personnel carried out the seizure of the aforementioned vessel, alleged drugs and the alleged transgressors of the law, in strict adherence to human rights, highlighting that six of them are of foreign nationality, whose human rights and physical integrity were respected,” the news release stated. The suspects were later transferred to a Mexican Navy ship and transported to the mainland for prosecution, the release stated.
Shortly before that incident, Mexican naval forces seized more than 8.3 metric tons of drugs in a single operation in the Pacific Ocean in October 2024 in a record maritime drug bust. The seizure was executed using a complex and risky helicopter maneuver, allowing Mexican Sailors to intercept a semisubmersible “narco sub” containing about 2,200 kilograms of narcotics. Five other small vessels hauling drugs also were seized, and 23 people were arrested, the Navy said.
The news release did not identify the type of drugs, but said they were worth 2.099 billion pesos (about $105 million). The interdiction took place southwest of Lazaro Cardenas, off the western coast of Mexico. The Secretariat of the Navy celebrated the record seizures as evidence of a successful strategy to counter drug trafficking. “In this way, the Secretariat of the Navy, through the Mexican Navy, through maritime, air and land surveillance operations, works to inhibit criminal action in order to guarantee and maintain the rule of law at sea,” the November 5, 2024, release stated.
Stemming the flow of drugs to the U.S. has been a central focus of U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), according to Gen. Gregory T. Guillot — commander of North American Aerospace Command and USNORTHCOM — who addressed the issue with Congress in early 2024. Guillot cited transnational criminal organizations in Mexico as a regional security threat. “Transnational criminal organizations in Mexico and elsewhere in the Western Hemisphere continue to foster instability and challenge the rule of law, creating potential opportunities for our state and nonstate adversaries to expand their access and influence along our southern approaches,” Guillot testified. “Irregular migration through Mexico reached record levels in the last year, and drug-related violence has escalated as rival cartels fight for control of lucrative drug and human trafficking routes. Cartels have also demonstrated a growing willingness to directly engage Mexican military, security forces, and government officials, highlighting the need for continued theater security cooperation with our partners in Mexico.”