Navy Surpasses Annual Record For Drug Seizures During The Current Administration In 2023

 "Char" for Borderland Beat 

This article was translated and reposted from SEMAR PRESS

PRESS RELEASE NO.: 151/2023

Secretaría de Marina : December 30, 2023 : National

Secretary of the Navy

Mexico City, December 30, 2023. The Ministry of the Navy reports that during the year 2023 it achieved a historic record of drug seizures compared to previous years of the current administration, as a result of naval operations undertaken at sea, in the air and on land, within the national territory in support of security and combating drug trafficking.

In the maritime environment during 2023, naval personnel with the support of ships and aircraft of the Mexican Navy managed to secure 48.147 tons of cocaine at sea and through port and airport operations, which represents 85.3 % of the total secured about 56.41 tons accounting for the last four years, from 2019 to 2022; mostly said narcotic was transported aboard 155 smaller vessels, among them, three semi-submersible types.

It is important to mention that 251 kilograms of cocaine correspond to seizures made by naval personnel working in the area of Port Security and Strategy to strengthen Customs and Ports; as well as 8 kilograms of cocaine, correspond to seizures made by naval personnel working in the framework of the Comprehensive Airport Security Strategy, and in coordination with the Customs of the International Airport of Mexico City (AICM).

Regarding the land environment, this year naval personnel with the support of aircraft of the Mexican Navy, managed to secure 604.183 tons of chemical precursors, a figure that represents 16.26 times more than the 37.148 tons recorded in the last four years, also 367.239 tons of methamphetamine were secured, which represents 9.61 times more than the 38.176 tons secured from 2019 to 2022. These drugs were mostly located in 189 clandestine laboratories for the production of synthetic drugs in the states of Durango and Sinaloa, as well as during various land, port and airport operations in national territory.

It should be noted that 274.85 kilograms of methamphetamine were seized by naval personnel working within the framework of the Comprehensive Airport Security Strategy and in coordination with AICM Customs, and 15.42 tons of methamphetamine were seized by naval personnel working within the scope of Port Security and the Strategy for Strengthening Customs and Ports. 

It should be noted that, additionally, this year, a total of 101.82 tons of miscellaneous cargo contaminated with cocaine and 55 tons of miscellaneous cargo contaminated with methamphetamine were seized in different ports of the country, managing to inhibit its commercialization and transfer to its final destinations.

Regarding marijuana seizures, naval personnel obtained a total of 55,915 tons, a figure that represents 1.4 times more than the 39,675 tons seized during the previous four years. Of these seizures, 20 kilograms of marijuana were carried out by naval personnel working within the framework of the Comprehensive Airport Security Strategy, and in coordination with AICM Customs; and 1.13 tons of marijuana, correspond to seizures made by naval personnel who work in the field of Port Security and Strategy to strengthen Customs and Ports.

Likewise, regarding the location of marijuana plantations, naval personnel managed to secure and destroy in different states of the country a total of 10 million 463 thousand 449 plants, located in 159 plantations; which represents 4.12 times more than the number of plants and 2.2 times more than the number of plantations, about the 2 million 537 thousand 691 plants in 72 plantations destroyed in the previous four years.

It is worth mentioning that, as a result of the operations mentioned above, the arrest of 2,375 violators of the law in flagrante delicto and/or possession of illicit material was achieved; a total of 335,241 liters of fuel were also seized, the legal origin of which was not proven. by the alleged offenders, making them available to the competent authorities to integrate the corresponding investigation files.

In this way, the Secretary of the Navy through the Mexican Navy works in a coordinated manner with agencies of the three levels of government, in favor of security and Mexican families, always carrying out its operations in strict respect for Human Rights and by the National Peace and Security Plan 2018-2024 of the Government of Mexico.

Navy of Mexico

In the sea, in the air, on land

-ooOoo-

Source:SEMAR MÉXICO