Mexican Navy seizes nearly 3 tons of cocaine off Oaxaca coast

On July 4, 2026 the Mexican Navy’s Secretariat of the Navy (SEMAR) acting as Coast Guard intercepted two small vessels in the Pacific Ocean off the state of Oaxaca. A maritime patrol aircraft spotted the vessels, a naval patrol ship with an onboard helicopter moved in and seized the boats.

Authorities seized 86 packages containing approximately 2,990 kg (about 3 tons) of alleged cocaine, 20 drums of prepared gasoline (1,000 L) and eight empty drums. Four men aboard the vessels were arrested and handed over to the federal public prosecutor.

The Navy estimates the seizure prevents the distribution of roughly 5 million 980 thousand doses of the drug and represents an economic loss of about 652 million 941 thousand pesos (≈ US $36 million) to organized crime. The cargo adds to a cumulative total of almost 77 tons of cocaine seized by the Mexican Navy during the current administration.