Mexico seizes major cocaine shipment amid ongoing efforts to curb drug flow to US

MEXICO CITY

The Mexican government seized Friday 1.28 tons of cocaine off the country’s western coast in the state of Michoacan, prompting US officials to praise Mexico for intensifying efforts to combat drug trafficking into the US.

Mexico’s Department of Security reported that, in a joint operation by the army and the navy, authorities recovered 1,292 bricks of cocaine weighing a total of 1,285 kilograms. This latest haul adds to the 38.5 tons of cocaine already seized along Mexico’s coasts this year.

The seizure represents approximately 2.5 million doses of cocaine and constitutes an estimated economic loss of $16.45 million for drug cartels.

Under the administration of President Claudia Sheinbaum, the Mexican government has vowed to ramp up efforts to disrupt drug flows into the US, complying with demands from US President Donald Trump and aiming to avoid tariffs threatened by the US administration.

US officials have recently commended Mexico’s increased cooperation and progress in meeting its commitments to stem drug trafficking.

New US Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson, who assumed his post this week, echoed praise earlier this week from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and congratulated Mexico.

“I couldn’t agree more with my friend Marco Rubio: Mexico has shown growing cooperation on national and shared security. I’m in Mexico representing President Donald Trump to continue working with President Claudia Sheinbaum and to strengthen our joint efforts for the safety of our nations,” Johnson posted on X.

From deploying military troops along the US-Mexico border to extraditing notorious drug cartel leaders, President Sheinbaum has taken broader measures to combat organized crime in an effort to appease her US counterpart and stave off tariff threats.

Meanwhile, violence continues to plague Mexico, with over 72 homicides reported daily amid a humanitarian crisis marked by more than 120,000 enforced disappearances. Still, the Trump administration appears confident in its southern partner’s commitment to controlling drug trafficking.

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