The Ministry of National Defense (Sedena) and the Mexican Navy reported the following results regarding the surveillance and administration of Mexican customs.
According to the federal government, the implementation of the Strategy for the Strengthening of Customs, through the surveillance and administration of the Armed Forces, has made it possible to combat corruption and smuggling of goods in the country’s 50 customs offices.
In this regard, the following results are available from September 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023.
In the 32 customs offices coordinated by the Sedena, 5,310 troops remain deployed, of which 2,497 are in support and 2,813 serve in the National Customs Agency of Mexico.
According to Sedena, the following results were obtained through secure and reliable fiscal precincts operated by military personnel:
The seizure of 233 weapons, 46,836 cartridges, 582 magazines, 9,788 constituent parts to manufacture cartridges, 675 components for weapons, 1,034 vehicles and 30,996 liters of hydrocarbons.
The seizure of 508 kilograms of cocaine, 75 kilograms of marijuana, seven kilograms of methamphetamine, as well as 51.8 million Mexican pesos and 76.5 million U.S. dollars.
This occurred at 19 customs offices established on the Mexican-U.S. border, two on the southern border and 11 inland customs offices.
Customs
The Mexican Navy actively participates in customs administration. It deploys 417 personnel, including 372 active members and 45 retired naval elements. These efforts cover 16 maritime customs and two inland customs under its control.
During operations, the Navy secured various items. These included four firearms of different calibers, 14 magazines, 90 rounds of ammunition, and 27 firearm parts. Additionally, it confiscated 26.75 kilograms of controlled medicines, 603,714 counterfeit items, and 10,734 electronic cigarettes along with accessories and spare parts.
Moreover, the Navy seized 3,682 doses and 26,928.2 kilograms of drugs. These included cannabis, cocaine, methamphetamines, and cannabidiol, among others. Financial seizures totaled 1.2 million U.S. dollars and 1.8 million Mexican pesos.
The maritime customs under administration include Ensenada, Guaymas, La Paz, Mazatlán, Manzanillo, Lázaro Cárdenas, Acapulco, Salina Cruz, Coatzacoalcos, Dos Bocas, Progreso, Ciudad del Carmen, Veracruz, Tuxpan, Tampico, and Altamira.
The inland customs are Pantaco and Mexico City International Airport.