United States intensifies maritime surveillance in the Gulf of Mexico

The United States has increased its maritime presence and surveillance in the Gulf of Mexico. The U.S. Department of War announced the deployment of the USS St. Louis to combat drug trafficking and protect the southern border. The vessel is part of a seven-ship fleet operating in the Caribbean and the Gulf to suppress piracy and narcoterrorism.

Simultaneously, maritime intelligence firm Ehrlich Maritime Security has documented an unusual pattern of U.S. intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance flights near the coasts of Yucatán, Campeche, Tabasco, and Veracruz. The firm suggests these flights, involving P-8 Poseidon aircraft and MQ-4C Triton drones, may be an anomaly because the area is not a primary route for maritime drug trafficking.

One hypothesis proposed by the firm is that these missions aim to track cargo ships and tankers potentially involved in irregular operations or those transporting Mexican oil to Cuba, which remains under pressure from the U.S. administration. Neither Mexican nor U.S. authorities have officially confirmed the specific objectives of these surveillance flights.