Mexico and US seize several tons of cocaine in the Pacific in a 'bilateral operation'

The Ministry of the Navy reported Wednesday that the Mexican Navy, in coordination with the US Coast Guard and the Southern Command Joint Interagency Force, seized several tons of cocaine during an unusual joint operation in the Pacific Ocean.

This joint deployment comes against a backdrop of tensions between the two countries, following warnings from President Donald Trump about the possibility of taking action against cartels on land.

188 packages seized

The Navy said in a statement that the operation, conducted outside Mexican territorial waters, was carried out within the framework of "bilateral cooperation to combat drug trafficking," under a scheme of "coordination and full respect for national sovereignty."

"The seizure of approximately 188 packages representing several tons of presumed cocaine was achieved," he said, adding that they were found on a vessel sailing west of Clarion Island, some 1.100 kilometers from the port of Manzanillo, in the state of Colima.

The Navy also reported that several people were detained, although it did not specify how many.

Cartel Drones in Border Zone

President Claudia Sheinbaum has reiterated that she will not allow the entry of U.S. military to participate in security operations within Mexico, despite Trump's insistence that U.S. forces collaborate directly in Mexican territory.

The Trump administration, for its part, reported Wednesday morning that it had neutralized drones belonging to Mexican cartels in the border area, a fact that led to the closure for several hours of the airport in El Paso, a neighboring city of Juarez.

Sheinbaum affirmed that her government has no reports about the presence of drones operated by criminal groups on the border with the US.