Global Courant 2023-05-15 20:06:52
The National Defense Navy intercepted a boat that was sailing through the Guatemalan Pacific and possibly transporting drugs, the Guatemalan Army reported on May 15.
Rubén Téllez, spokesman for the Army, reported that on the night of Sunday, May 14, the Navy intercepted a boat that was sailing 147 nautical miles – some 272 km – off the Guatemalan Pacific coast.
The boat is a Go-Fast type in which 2 people were transported, who identified themselves as Guatemalans.
Téllez said that it has been preliminarily detected that the boat is transporting 45 packages that could contain some illegal act, supposedly drugs.
He noted that the ship is being towed to a secure facility in the Pacific of Guatemala and is expected to arrive there during the day.
Similar cases
In May 2022, three speedboats, allegedly used for drug trafficking, were intercepted by members of the Guatemalan Army on the Pacific coast and seven people were arrested.
One of the boats was located at 183 nautical miles with three people of Guatemalan nationality, who had several containers on board in which they transported fuel.
“Visually there are no indications of more illegal activities,” but “the boat is suspicious,” Téllez stressed.
He added that the other two vessels were intercepted at 90 nautical miles, and four other Guatemalans were found in one of them and were also detained.
In February 2018, naval units found the vessel some 133 nautical miles from the Free Economic Zone and it was towed ashore, along with the crew.
After carrying out the corresponding inspections, the Public Ministry confirms that 707 packages of cocaine were hidden inside 36 tulas.
Due to its geographical position, Guatemala is used as a bridge by drug cartels that traffic drugs from South America to the United States.
