El Salvador pushes back at Mexico's claim that drug-smuggling aircraft took off from Salvadoran soil

By Jorge Antonio Rocha

MEXICO CITY (AA) – El Salvador’s president is pushing back on Mexico's claims that an aircraft carrying cocaine had taken off from his country before being intercepted in Mexican territory.

Omar Garcia Harfuch, Mexico’s security chief, told a Tuesday press conference that an aircraft holding 428 kilograms (944 pounds) of cocaine was intercepted by Mexican authorities. He added that it came from El Salvador.

On social media, El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele on Wednesday denied the reports and recalled El Salvador’s ambassador in Mexico for consultations.

“We demand an immediate clarification and rectification from the Government of Mexico regarding the statements made by its (Security) Secretary, Omar Garcia Harfuch,” Bukele wrote on X.

Mexico reported that the aircraft carrying nearly $5 million worth of cocaine was intercepted by authorities in Colima, along Mexico’s Pacific coast, and that three men were arrested.

On X, Bukele posted a map said to show the aircraft’s trajectory, with it flying over Costa Rica, then “briefly disappearing from radar” before reappearing to head to the Pacific.

The aircraft “never touched" Salvadoran territory, he said.

Bukele also posted the names of the three men arrested by Mexican authorities, claiming that all were of Mexican nationality.

“El Salvador does not harbor criminals nor tolerate drug trafficking – we didn’t do it before, and we won’t do it now. Nor will we allow attempts to involve us in operations that are not ours and do not concern us,” he said.