Salvadorian authorities arrested three Colombian drug traffickers carrying 532 kilos of cocaine through Central American waters.
The US DEA officials were the first to spot the drug traffickers’ boat before alerting the Salvadorian authorities. The boat was stopped 57 miles south of the Rio Lempa according to La Prensa.
The three suspects have been taken into custody by Salvadorian authorities and are facing drug trafficking charges. They are being held at the Puerta de la Union Naval Base.
According to Salvadorian authorities, the group left from the Tumaco port in the state of Nariño on Colombian’s southern Pacific coast on September 1. Authorities suspect the three men were leaving the drugs on floating buoys that would have later been picked up by other traffickers.
According to the authorities, the drugs were destined for Mexico and the United States. The Colombian group traveled nearly 1,180 miles before being apprehended by Salvadorian authorities.
The drug seizure occurred as the Salvadorian military has renewed efforts to combat drug trafficking. Since 2012, the Navy has been conducting joint operations with various national agencies and the US Southern Command. According to Dialogo, 87% of drugs coming from South America pass through the Pacific waters of Central America.
According to Mexican news organization SIPSE, the 532 kilos bring the total amount of cocaine seized by Salvadorian authorities this year to 1,642 kilos.
Sources
- Capturados colombianos con 27 millones de dólares en droga en El Salvador (Vanguardia)
- Decomisan más de 500 kilos de droga que ‘venían a México’ (SIPSE)
- Interceptan media tonelada de cocaína en El Salvador (La Prensa)
- Fuerza Naval salvadoreña afina su estrategia contra el narcotráfico (Dialogo)
- Lancha colombiana llevaba media tonelada de cocaína (El Salvador)