The Salvadoran authorities seized 4.3 tons of cocaine aboard four vessels on the high seas in the Pacific Ocean and arrested eight Ecuadorians and one Colombian, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele said yesterday, quoted by Agence France-Presse, BTA reported.
"Our national navy has dealt a historic blow against drug trafficking in the first days of 2025, making four seizures in a single mission on the high seas", Bukele announced.
"4.3 tons of cocaine worth more than $100 million" were seized, the Salvadoran president explained, describing the operation as a serious blow against organized crime.
The Salvadoran navy often carries out similar maritime operations, AFP notes. A key route for drugs that come from South America (mainly Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru) passes through Central American countries and travels to the United States, which is the world's largest cocaine consumer.