Mexican Navy, U.S. Coast Guard Seize Tons of Suspected Cocaine in Pacific Ocean Operation

 

Joint maritime patrol west of Clarión Island nets 188 bundles in high-seas interdiction

In a sweeping joint operation on the high seas, Mexican naval forces and the U.S. Coast Guard seized approximately 188 bundles containing several tons of suspected cocaine in international waters of the Pacific Ocean, authorities announced.

The interdiction took place west of Clarión Island, beyond Mexico’s Exclusive Economic Zone, during a coordinated patrol involving surface vessels and aircraft from Mexico’s Navy — operating in its Coast Guard capacity — alongside the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Southern Command’s Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-South).

Mexican officials said the operation was made possible through intelligence sharing and bilateral cooperation aimed at disrupting maritime drug trafficking routes that move narcotics from South America toward North American markets. The total weight of the seized cargo has yet to be officially confirmed pending forensic analysis, but authorities described the haul as representing multiple tons of suspected cocaine.

Photographs released by the Mexican Navy show rows of tightly wrapped black and green packages stacked on the deck of a naval vessel, guarded by armed personnel. The scale of the seizure underscores the volume of narcotics that traffickers attempt to move through the eastern Pacific corridor, one of the busiest maritime drug routes in the hemisphere.

Several individuals were detained during the operation. Officials said they were informed of their rights and turned over, along with the confiscated cargo, to the appropriate authorities to determine potential criminal charges.

Mexican naval authorities characterized the seizure as a significant financial setback for organized crime groups operating in the region. The Navy said it will continue maritime and aerial patrols in coordination with U.S. and international partners to combat illicit trafficking and maintain rule of law in Mexican waters and surrounding international zones.

The eastern Pacific remains a key battleground in the fight against transnational narcotics trafficking, with joint U.S.-Mexico operations increasingly focused on intelligence-driven interdictions far from shore.