The Navy arrested 23 people and seized more than eight tonnes of illicit cargo in a drug seizure operation off the country’s south-western Pacific coast.
In a statement, the Navy Ministry said on Friday that they seized 8,361 kilograms of illicit cargo, valued at US$105 million, and 8,700 litres of fuel and six boats on the coast near Lazaro Cardenas in Michoacán state and south of the coast of Guerrero state.
The 23 detainees, who were read their rights, as well as the six boats, the presumed drugs and the fuel were handed over to the competent authorities for integration into the corresponding investigation, the navy said.
The largest drug seizure in Mexican history was 23 tonnes of Colombian cocaine in November 2007. Friday’s announcement “represents the largest amount of drugs seized in a maritime operation, unprecedented in history,” according to the Navy.
Mexico has stepped up efforts to crack down on drug trafficking after pressure from the US, while Mexico has pressed the US to take more steps to cut off the supply of firearms to criminal gangs across the border into Mexico.
