The Navy of El Salvador detained two Ecuadorians and a Colombian who were transporting about two tons of cocaine in a semi-submersible ship in the waters of the Pacific Ocean, the president, Nayib Bukele, said this Monday.
These operations are frequent on the Pacific coasts, especially because countries like El Salvador, due to their location, serve as a bridge for cocaine transportation.
“Our National Navy intercepted a low-profile vessel (LPV) 630 nautical miles (1,167 km) southwest of Bocana El Cordoncillo, Estero de Jaltepeque,” the president said in his account on the social network X.
The three South Americans were transporting “approximately two tons of cocaine, valued at about 50 million dollars,” in a type of semi-submersible, added the president of El Salvador.
Operational in El Salvador.
Photo:X: @nayibbukele
According to Bukele, This drug seizure is the fourth made by Salvadoran authorities in the last five weeks, for a total value of about 150 million dollars.
In these operations, several Mexicans, Colombians and Ecuadorians were detained.
Other operations in the Pacific
At the beginning of June, the El Salvador Navy seized at least a ton of cocaine and detained three Ecuadorians who were transporting it on a boat in the waters of the Pacific Ocean.
That vessel was intercepted by the Navy 1,491 kilometers from Bocana El Cordoncillo, in the Jaltepeque estuary – the same area of the case that became known this Monday -, the president said in a message on his X account.
The three Ecuadorians were transporting “approximately a ton of cocaine, valued at about 25 million dollars” on the boat.Bukele added at that time.
Operational in El Salvador.
Photo:X: @nayibbukele
In May, in separate operations in Pacific waters, authorities seized 1.3 and 1.4 tons of cocaine, respectively.
The first shipment, seized on May 19, was valued at $32.5 million. On that occasion, three Mexicans, two Colombians and an Ecuadorian were arrested along with the drugs. In the second operation, on May 24, one Ecuadorian was killed and another was captured.
The Salvadoran Navy frequently makes cocaine seizures off its Pacific coast. For decades, El Salvador and other Central American countries have served as a bridge for cocaine transportation carried out by Colombian and Mexican cartels from South America to the US market.
According to the United States, 90% of the cocaine that reaches that country passes through Mexico and Central America in land vehicles, aircraft, boats and submarines.
Operational in El Salvador.
Photo:X: @nayibbukele
Mexicans convicted of drug trafficking
On May 24, exactly one month ago, the Third Sentencing Court of San Salvador sentenced six Mexican citizens to 10 years in prison for the crime of illicit trafficking of 809 kilograms of cocaine with a commercial value of more than 20 million dollars.
The defendants pleaded guilty to the accusation by the Attorney General’s Office (FGR), for which they received the lesser sentence.
