Mexican Navy seizes drugs from ‘narco sub’ in Pacific

Members of the Mexican Navy guard packages of drugs after seizing about 8.4 thousand metric tons s of the illicit cargo and arresting 23 people in an operation off the country’s southwestern Pacific coast, near Lazaro Cardenas, Michoacan, Mexico. MEXICAN NAVY

THE WATCH STAFF

The Mexican Navy said in October 2024 that it had seized more than 8.3 metric tons of drugs in a single operation in the Pacific Ocean, a record maritime drug bust. In a complex and risky helicopter maneuver, Mexican Sailors intercepted a semisubmersible “narco sub” that held about 2,200 kilograms of narcotics, officials said. Five other small vessels hauling drugs also were seized, and 23 people were arrested.

The Ministry of the Navy 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 Navy said capturing the narco sub was a complicated operation. Semisubmersibles cannot go underwater completely but often can elude detection and capture. “The strategy and high level of training of the naval personnel allowed an aerial insertion from a helicopter onto said vessel in full motion, a high-risk maneuver since it requires absolute mastery of boarding techniques in extreme conditions,” the Navy said.

The Navy released more than a dozen images of the operation on Facebook, showing hundreds of packages of alleged drugs. Some were emblazoned with the Pepsi logo and others were marked “JK8.”

Mexico’s biggest drug seizure came in November 2007, when 23 tons of Colombian cocaine was intercepted. On August 23, 2024, authorities said they had seized about 7 metric tons of drugs in two separate operations.

Mexico has been a focal point of drug trafficking to the United States for decades, with numerous cartels battling for control. Mexican and U.S. officials share information and work together to dismantle illicit drug trafficking.

In testimony before the House Armed Services Committee in March 2024, Gen. Gregory M. Guillot, commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), 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,” Guillot said.

In late October 2024, the U.S. imposed sanctions on senior members of a Mexican drug cartel that operates on border territories in and around Chihuahua, Mexico, The Associated Press reported. Five Mexican citizens and two companies tied to La Linea, a violent Mexican drug trafficking group that smuggles fentanyl and other synthetic drugs into the U.S. for the Juarez Cartel, were hit with economic sanctions.

The sanctions are meant to stem a major source of fentanyl coming into the U.S. The opioid is the deadliest drug in the U.S. today. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says drug overdose deaths in the U.S. have increased more than sevenfold from 2015 to 2021, though the agency reported a 3% decline in overdose deaths in 2024.

Mexico’s new president, Claudia Sheinbaum, laid out a plan in October 2024 to combat drug cartel violence, the AP reported. She said she plans to increase intelligence and investigative work but will continue a policy of avoiding clashes with the cartels, the approach used by her predecessor, Andres Manuel López Obrador.