Minister of National Defense René Francis Merino Monroy announced on Wednesday that El Salvador has seized 47.7 tons of drugs valued at over $1.09 billion since June 2019.
While the minister did not specify the types of narcotics or the breakdown of seizures by land and sea, previous statements by Minister of Justice and Public Security Gustavo Villatoro revealed that 80% of the confiscations occurred beyond El Salvador’s maritime borders.
Merino Monroy highlighted that under the state of exception, which began in March 2022, authorities have seized 28.7 tons of drugs worth $689.4 million. “This year alone, we’ve confiscated 15.5 tons of drugs, including 15.1 tons at sea, valued at $391.8 million,” the minister added.
Over the past weekend, two major busts were carried out with a combined value of approximately $70 million. On Saturday, President Nayib Bukele announced the capture of a vessel carrying 762 kilograms of cocaine, located 770 nautical miles southwest of Bocana El Cordoncillo. A second operation in the Jaltepeque Estuary uncovered two tons of drugs worth $50 million.
“In the fight against drug trafficking, this has been our most efficient year,” Merino Monroy stated, emphasizing that the 200-nautical-mile zone of El Salvador is being enforced effectively, pushing smugglers into international waters.
These efforts mark a significant milestone in El Salvador’s fight against organized crime and drug trafficking in the region.