In a historic operation, Mexican authorities seized a massive 8.3 tons of drugs in the Pacific, marking the largest maritime drug seizure in the country’s history. The operation, carried out by Mexico’s Navy, intercepted six small vessels carrying the illicit cargo off the coast of Lázaro Cárdenas in Michoacán. Twenty-three crew members were detained in what officials are calling an unprecedented blow to drug trafficking in the region.

The seized drugs, along with 8,700 liters of fuel, were intended for the black market, where the cartels continue to control various illegal operations. According to the Mexican Navy, the value of the drugs is estimated to exceed 2.1 billion pesos (about $105 million). This successful operation highlights the increasing sophistication of cartels’ smuggling tactics, including the use of submersible vessels to evade detection.

The Navy’s report detailed the complexity of the operation, which involved aerial support from helicopters. The interception of one of the submersible vessels required Navy personnel to be deployed via helicopter onto the moving craft. This high-risk maneuver exemplifies the increasing challenges law enforcement faces when dealing with heavily armed and advanced drug trafficking organizations.

This latest seizure surpasses a previous large maritime drug haul in August, when 7.2 tons of drugs were confiscated in two separate operations, also in the Pacific. The Mexican Navy has conducted several successful land-based seizures in the past, with Pacific coastal ports being key hubs in the international drug trade. However, operations at sea have become increasingly necessary as traffickers continue to exploit these waters.

The state of Michoacán, where the operation took place, is notorious for its ongoing turf wars between local criminal groups and the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). These groups vie for control over lucrative drug routes into the United States, fueling a long-standing drug war that has plagued Mexico for decades. Since 2006, when the government declared a military-led offensive against the cartels, Mexico has experienced over 450,000 homicides and around 100,000 disappearances linked to the violence.

This record-breaking seizure represents a significant win for Mexican authorities, but it also underscores the vast scale of the ongoing drug trade and the challenges still ahead in the fight against organized crime.