Dozens of packages of cocaine seized in Pacific Ocean off Mexico, 11 rescued from shipwreck

United States and Mexican law enforcement said they seized dozens of packages of cocaine from a go-fast vessel as part of one of several operations aimed at stopping the flow of illicit drugs around the world. 

Customs and Border Patrol air assets first spotted the go-fast boat in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico, the Joint Interagency Task Force South, a group made up of 21 partner nations including the U.S. and Mexico, said on social media. The boat’s crew allegedly threw bales of illicit drugs into the ocean as they realized they had been spotted. 

The Mexican navy was able to quickly respond and retrieve the drugs. They seized about 1,990 pounds of cocaine, the task force said. Photos show the efforts to rescue the drugs from the ocean. 

Officials said the navy also fast-roped Marines directly onto the deck of the go-fast vessel. The task force did not say if any arrests were conducted. 

It was one of at least three recent operations the Mexican navy conducted in the Pacific Ocean, according to a social media post from the agency. In one operation, naval forces seized 22 packages of cocaine and rescued 11 shipwrecked people from a vessel near Guerrero. The rescued group received medical attention before being handed over to immigration authorities, the navy said. 

A second operation saw the navy discover seven packages of cocaine while inspecting a container ship that was docked in the port city of Manzanillo. Three stowaways were also discovered and detained, the navy said. 

In the third operation, the navy recovered 34 additional packages of illicit cargo from a boat near Acapulco, which were transported to the Oaxacan coast to be destroyed. 

The navy did not say what dates these operations took place on, or specify which effort the CBP assisted with. The navy said that 65.5 tons of illicit cocaine has now been seized under the current administration.  

Earlier this year, authorities said the U.S. and Mexico seized nearly 200 packages containing several tons of cocaine from a ship in a coordinated operation in the Pacific Ocean.