Elements of the Mexican Armed Force detained Jorge Arturo Castañeda Uscanga, captain of the Manzanillo port in Colima last week for presumed links to organized crime, after an investigation by the Federal Attorney General’s Office (La Procuraduría General de la República –PGR). According to El Universal his arrest happened shortly after they secured two of the most important shipments of Ephedrine intended to enter Mexico through the port of Manzanillo. The substance that is used to produce synthetic drugs exceeded 160 tons and was detected thanks to the joint investigations by the Mexican Navy, PGR and Customs. His arrest also followed a series of complaints about the infiltration of drug cartels amongst the personnel assigned to different ports in the country.
According to a web article by the news source Diario de Yucatan, in recent months the port of Manzanillo has been the site of some very important seizures of chemicals used to fabricate synthetic drugs. It is also a port in which dozens of tons of chemicals have tried to be entered into the country in order to produce illegal drugs. In early May the government announced the seizure of 800 tons of ethyl phenyl acetate (Fenil Acetato de Etilo), used to illegally produce methamphetamines, and in April 3.6 tons of Ephedrine were seized.
Sources:
Diario de Yucatan. “Detienen a capitán de puerto mexicano por crimen organizado.” Diario de Yucatan. 27 May, 2010.
Informador. “Detienen al capitán del puerto de Manzanillo.” Informador. 27 Mayo, 2010.
Gómez, Francisco. “Capturan a marino por nexos con el narco.” El Universal. 27 Mayo, 2010.
