Sonora: Sedena secured a shipment of drugs worth more than 400 million pesos

Elements of the Mexican Army and Air Force (FA), as well as the National Guard (GN) managed to detect and secure a shipment of 379 kilograms of different drugs in Sonora, which would be worth more than 400 million pesos if it had reached the streets.

In a statement, the Secretariat of National Defense (Sedena) reported on the joint operation it carried out with the FA on Friday, April 8, when federal security elements detected the irregular trajectory of an aircraft, so they deployed helicopters and planes to follow it up.

“By applying air intelligence procedures for the surveillance and protection of national airspace, through the radar installed in Hermosillo, Son., which provides coverage in the northwestern portion of the country, detected that an aircraft was on an unidentified route,” Sedena reported.

After realizing the presence of the aircraft, “the Mexican Air Force ordered the takeoff of two T-C6+ aircraft, as air interception units, a UH-60M helicopter to transport ground troops in order to intercept ground movement; as well as a Dornier plane of the National Guard.”

The elements of the air force were able to detect that the suspect aircraft landed in a place southeast of Nogales, where it was being waited by subjects aboard cars, who mobilized to unload numerous packages that were inside it, after which it took off again with an unknown direction.

Air Force personnel followed the vehicle's trajectory, as pilots of T-C6+ aircraft, which have night vision equipment, followed the suspected criminals, who became aware of the presence of the armed forces and decided to abandon the car to flee in an unknown direction.

After arriving on board the UH-60M helicopter, elements of the Army and the National Guard secured 17 bags wrapped in bags, which in turn contained cylinders secured with garbage bags, adhesive tape and transparent bags.

Of the 379 kilograms of drugs, 276.7 kg were methamphetamine; 49.7 kg of fentanyl; 36 kg of heroin; and 17.2 kg of cocaine, which was secured by the security elements and made available to the Office of the Attorney General of the Republic (FGR).

At the end of last January, the Army and Air Force coordinated to carry out an operation of similar characteristics, since on the 24th of that month they managed to secure a Cessna 206 aircraft carrying 338 kilograms of various drugs.

According to information provided by Sedena, it was detected that the aircraft entered Sonora airspace from Culiacán, Sinaloa, and subsequently deviated from its declared trajectory, and the authorities followed the plane by air.

The two crew members quickly abandoned the plane after landing on a dirt road located in the municipality of Puerto Peñasco, Sonora; which was subsequently secured by military elements who had obtained information about its location thanks to coordination with the FA.

After inspecting the aircraft, 180 kilograms of cocaine; 65 kilograms of fentanyl; 51 kilograms of heroin; 39 kilograms of methamphetamine; 2 kilograms of benzodiazepine and 1 kilogram of unidentified narcotics were found inside it.

Just one day before these events, another aircraft had been secured in the state, containing about 500 kilograms of drugs, two long guns and 756 useful cartridges; which was made available to the authorities, as well as two subjects involved in the events.

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