MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexican military officials said Sunday they discovered a small, burning South American plane after it made an illegal landing on the Yucatan Peninsula, possibly carrying hundreds of pounds of drugs.
Nearby, military officials said they also found a truck carrying drugs that appeared to be cocaine, packaged in 13 packages weighing 30 kg (66 pounds) each, and likely coming from the plane.
At an estimated value of more than 109 million pesos ($ 4.9 million), the loss would have a “significant” impact on criminal organizations, a statement from the Mexican military said.
The Milenio station, which showed images of the plane half burned on a highway surrounded by dense vegetation, reported that the plane had arrived from Maracaibo, Venezuela.
Reuters was unable to verify the information and the Venezuelan government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The plane had landed in the state of Quintana Roo, home to popular beach resorts like Cancun. The truck was found nearby.
($ 1 = 22.3850 Mexican pesos)
Report by Daina Beth Solomon and Sharay Angulo in Mexico City; Additional reports from Deisy Buitrago in Caracas; Written by Stefanie Eschenbacher; Editing by Peter Cooney
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