MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexican military officials said on Sunday they discovered a small plane from South America in flames after it made an illegal landing on the Yucatan Peninsula possibly carrying hundreds of kilos of drugs.
Nearby, military officials said they also found a truck carrying drugs that appeared to be cocaine, packaged into 13 parcels weighting 30 kg (66 pounds) each, and likely coming from the plane.
With an estimated value of more than 109 million pesos ($4.9 million), the loss would have a “significant” impact on criminal organizations, said a statement from the Mexican military.
Broadcaster Milenio, which showed footage of the plane half burnt out on a highway surrounded by dense vegetation, reported that the plane had arrived from Maracaibo, Venezuela.
Reuters could not verify the information and the Venezuelan government did not immediately reply 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)
(Reporting by Daina Beth Solomon and Sharay Anguloin Mexico City; Additional reporting by Deisy Buitrago in Caracas; Writing by Stefanie Eschenbacher; Editing by Peter Cooney)
