Chile seizes record 1,000+ tons drug‑laden timber, Mexico intercepts cocaine‑loaded plane

Chile authorities carried out the largest ever seizure of drug‑impregnated timber, confiscating about 1,080 tons of wood containing cocaine and ketamine at the ports of Arica, Valparaíso and San Antonio. The operation was coordinated by the regional Fiscalía, the Maritime Police (DirecMar) and customs officers, and involved analysis of 1,169.1 tons of wood from 49 containers linked to Bolivia. Public Security Minister Martín Arrau said the bust shows the state can protect its borders when agencies act together.

In Mexico, a joint federal‑state operation intercepted a Cessna 206 near Tijuana, seizing 24 kg of cocaine, 24 firearm chargers, 377 ammunition cartridges, three vehicles and a property used for drug storage. The raid, supported by the Mexican Army, Air Force, National Guard and U.S. security partners, represented a financial hit of roughly 5 million pesos to criminal groups.

Both incidents illustrate intensified cooperation among law‑enforcement agencies in the region to combat drug trafficking.