Mexico: Mexican Navy Captures Shrimp Boat Carrying 10 Tons of Meth

Drug traffickers are finding new ways to smuggle drugs as the Mexican Navy has intercepted around 10 tons of meth aboard a shrimp boat off Mexico's western pacific coast, around Mazatlan Sinaloa.

Navy Secretary Jose Rafael Ojeda spoke to the media and confirmed that the shrimp boat carrying approximately 10 tons of methamphetamines was intercepted off the Sinaloan coast. However, when the Mexican marines tried to board the vessel, its crew intentionally opened valves to attempt to sink it, according to the Associated Press.

The Mexican Navy was able to unload over 440 kilograms of the bales of meth before the boat finally went down the ocean. However, Ojeda confirmed that the majority of the shipment went down with the vessel.

"When they were detained, they submerged the boat, once the materials were collected, 440 kilograms could be rescued," stated Ricardo Mejia Berdeja, the undersecretary of Security and Citizen Protection.

A Dozen People Arrested Inside Shrimp Boat Off Mexico's Pacific Coast

Mejía Berdeja also revealed that twelve people inside the shrimp boat were arrested as they tried to sink the evidence. He also confirmed that the operation happened between November 9 and 10 and that it was part of operations to detect the trafficking of illicit substances off Mexican waters.

The Office of the Attorney General in Mexico is now investigating the incident. It was found that the vessel, named Tapilu III, was insured in 2022 and the detainees all hailed from Mazatlan, Sinaloa, according to Borderland Beat.

The vessels also carried two boats filled with gasoline, and aside from the cocaine, authorities were also able to recover approximately 10,000 liters of fuel.

Shrimp Boat Tapilu III Part of the Mazatlan Fleet

It was discovered that the ship was officially part of the Mazatlan fleet. Jesus Omar Lizarraga Manjarrez, the president of the Union of Owners of the Mexican Pacific Coast, spoke to a local publication, Mazatlan Weekly, and confirmed that it was indeed part of the city's local fleet.

However, he stated that the vessel is "not part of the adherents of his group, even though it is part of the Mazatlán fleet." He then added that he understands while the ship does hail from Mazatlan, he has no more information about it.

As president of the city's fishing union, Lizarraga Manjarrez stated that the Mexican navy's operations to combat sea-based drug trafficking are already constant and that they have regularly sent sniffer dogs to their vessels.

He stated that these reviews that are "done in a normal, routine and respectful way, both of the authority and the fishermen." The fishing leader did admit that these inspections do not usually take over 30 minutes and that the "crew helps to expedite, opening the areas of the boat".

Sinaloa state, where the operation occurred, is the stronghold of one of the most powerful drug cartels today, the Sinaloa Cartel, which was founded by the notorious El Chapo. Since he is now incarcerated in the United States, the criminal organization is now run by his business partner, El Mayo, as well as his four favorite sons, collectively known as Los Chapitos.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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