On Monday, President Nayib Bukele announced that the National Navy successfully intercepted a vessel carrying 1,500 kilograms of cocaine approximately 1,050 nautical miles (1,945 kilometers) off El Salvador’s coast. The operation resulted in the capture of two Ecuadorian nationals aboard the vessel, with the confiscated drugs valued at $37.5 million.
President Bukele highlighted the unprecedented nature of this operation, calling it “a new distance record.” He also revealed that in 2024 alone, the National Navy has seized 16.7 tons of cocaine in international waters, with an estimated value of $417.7 million.
“This makes 2024 the year with the highest drug seizures in our history,” Bukele stated.
The increase in drug confiscations aligns with the implementation of the Territorial Control Plan, the government’s security strategy launched in June 2019 to combat criminal organizations, including drug trafficking networks. Authorities credit this plan for strengthening maritime operations and significantly disrupting the use of El Salvador’s waters as a transit route for narcotics.