Residents of the San José Viejo neighborhood, located near the Los Cabos International Airport, recorded cellphone video late Thursday showing U.S. military aircraft landing on the runway, an uncommon scene that quickly circulated on social media.
Mexico’s Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional said the overflights were authorized on Feb. 5 and involved two U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules tanker aircraft, used for aerial refueling, along with accompanying helicopters from the United States Air Force.
According to officials, the Hercules aircraft that landed Thursday night at Los Cabos International Airport was escorted by a pair of Black Hawk helicopters, a formation that drew the attention of nearby residents who filmed the arrival from surrounding streets.
Authorities said the aircraft were deployed as part of a medical evacuation mission to rescue a crew member aboard a vessel located approximately 400 nautical miles west of Cabo San Lucas in the Pacific Ocean.
On Friday morning, residents along the Cabo San Lucas coastline again reported seeing Black Hawk helicopters flying offshore, indicating continued aerial activity linked to the operation.
The planes and helicopters landed overnight at Los Cabos International Airport under authorization granted through established bilateral procedures regulating foreign military overflights and landings in Mexican airspace.
In a statement, Mexican defense officials emphasized that the mission was strictly humanitarian in nature and reaffirmed Mexico’s commitment to international cooperation aimed at saving lives and maintaining regional safety, while stressing respect for national sovereignty, mutual trust and shared responsibility between partner nations.
No comments:
Post a Comment