Mexican navy says it seizes 8.3 tons of drugs in Pacific

Mexico City, Mexico — 

The Mexican navy announced Friday it had seized much than 8.3 tons of drugs successful the Pacific Ocean, a grounds for a azygous cognition astatine sea.

"Navy unit seized 8,361 kilograms of illicit cargo, which represents the largest magnitude of drugs seized successful a maritime operation, unprecedented successful history," said a connection from the Ministry of the Navy.

It did not specify the benignant of the drugs, but said they were valued astatine astir $105 million.

Twenty-three radical were arrested during the bust which took spot southwest of the larboard of Lazaro Cardenas, disconnected the occidental seashore of Mexico.

The drugs were distributed successful six tiny boats and 1 of the vessels was a submersible, which implied a "complex" enactment connected the portion of the sailors, added the ministry.

The largest cause seizure successful Mexico's past was 23 tons of Colombian cocaine successful November 2007.

Mexico has for decades been the hub of cause trafficking to the United States, with galore cartels warring for power of the trade.

The authorities of Michoacan, disconnected the seashore of which the seizure took place, is the country of clashes betwixt transgression gangs, including the almighty Jalisco Nueva Generacion cartel, 1 of Mexico's astir almighty and convulsive transgression groups.

The latest raid reported Friday was carried retired "days ago" by aboveground units backed by a helicopter, the ministry said.

Some 8,700 liters of fuel, different of the illicit trades controlled by cause cartels, were besides recovered connected the raided vessels.

On August 23, authorities reported they had impounded astir 7 tons of drugs successful 2 abstracted operations successful the aforesaid country of the country.

The Mexican navy, which conducts surveillance operations connected a imperishable basis, has discovered each kinds of cause shipments, including 1 of cocaine stuffed successful 217 barrels of chili condiment successful 2016.

Mexico has for decades been a cause trafficking way to the United States, which has sparked disputes betwixt antithetic NARCO groups.

The country's archetypal pistillate president Claudia Sheinbaum, who took bureau connected October 1, faces a large situation to tackle the cause cartels and related crimes.

She has pledged to instrumentality with her predecessor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's "hugs not bullets" strategy of utilizing societal argumentation to tackle transgression astatine its roots.

Across Mexico, much than 450,000 radical person been killed and tens of thousands person gone missing successful a spiral of unit since the authorities deployed the service to combat cause trafficking successful 2006.