SAN SALVADOR: Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele announced the recall of El Salvador’s ambassador to Mexico for consultations following allegations by Mexican officials that a drug trafficking plane originated from the Central American nation.
Bukele refuted the claims, demanding clarification from Mexico.
The dispute arose after Mexico’s Security Minister Omar Garcia Harfuch stated during a press conference that a small aircraft linked to drug traffickers had departed from El Salvador before being intercepted in Colima, Mexico.
Bukele countered by sharing a flight path map indicating the plane never entered Salvadoran airspace, instead appearing off Costa Rica’s coast before heading north.
“The plane flew over the Pacific Ocean and never touched Salvadoran territory,“ Bukele asserted. Mexican authorities reported arresting three Mexican nationals aboard the plane and seizing 427 kilograms of cocaine.
Bukele emphasized that El Salvador does not shield criminals or tolerate drug trafficking, rejecting any attempt to implicate the country in unrelated operations.
Mexico’s foreign ministry has yet to respond to requests for comment.
The diplomatic rift highlights escalating tensions over cross-border security concerns. – Reuters
