Nayib Bukele denies that a plane carrying cocaine seized in Colima passed through El Salvador.

A heated diplomatic dispute erupted between El Salvador and Mexico following the seizure of an aircraft carrying nearly half a ton of cocaine in the municipality of Tecomán, Colima . While the Mexican government, through the Ministry of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), asserted that the aircraft originated in El Salvador , President Nayib Bukele flatly denied this claim and demanded immediate clarification .

The incident has ignited regional tensions and exposed the sensitivity of anti-drug operations when multiple countries are involved.

On July 4, the SSPC reported the detection of a suspicious aircraft in Mexican airspace. According to the statement, personnel from the National Center for Surveillance and Protection of Airspace (CENAVI) detected an air trace 200 kilometers south of San Salvador , which led to an alert and the deployment of Mexican military aircraft to intercept the flight.

The plane was finally located on a clandestine runway in Tecomán, Colima , where three individuals were arrested and 11 packages containing 427 kilos of cocaine were seized, with an estimated value of 95.8 million pesos .

During the presidential press conference on July 8, Secretary Omar García Harfuch reaffirmed this version, asserting that the aircraft originated in El Salvador and highlighting the economic value of the illicit cargo.

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele 's response was swift. Through his official X (formerly Twitter) account, he described the Mexican government's claim about the flight's origin as "false."

Bukele explained that on July 3, Costa Rica activated a regional alert after detecting the trace of a suspicious aircraft northwest of its territory, and that Salvadoran airspace was never violated.

"Our radars did not record any aerial contact within our airspace. The trace shows that the plane passed well south of El Salvador and Nicaragua," Bukele stated.

To reinforce his position, he mentioned that the information was confirmed by JIATFS Key West , a U.S. agency that monitors illicit air traffic in the region. According to its report, the aircraft flew over the Pacific Ocean without approaching Salvadoran territory .

Another point Bukele emphasized was the nationality of the crew members detained in Colima , claiming that the media and Mexican authorities omitted that information.

“The three arrested are Mexican nationals: Leonardo Alonso Parra Pérez, from Guasave, Sinaloa; José Adán Jalavera Ceballos, from Chihuahua; and Felipe Villa Gutiérrez, from Morelia, Michoacán.”

With this information, the Central American leader sought to clear his country of any direct or indirect involvement in the illicit operation.

Bukele's stance was unequivocal: El Salvador does not cover up criminals or tolerate drug trafficking , and it will not allow its country to be involved in acts that do not concern it.

"We demand that the Mexican government immediately clarify and correct the statements made by its Secretary," he wrote on social media.

As part of the diplomatic measures, Bukele also announced that his government recalled its ambassador to Mexico for consultations , underscoring the seriousness with which the matter was taken.

This disagreement occurs in a context where cooperation in security and combating drug trafficking between Central American countries and Mexico is crucial . A lack of coordination in information could jeopardize not only the bilateral relationship, but also multilateral agreements on aerial surveillance and counternarcotics .

Meanwhile, the Mexican government has not yet issued an official correction regarding the aircraft's exact route. Bukele's insistence and the shared documentation could pave the way for a joint review of radar records and international evidence .

The controversy surrounding the drug seizure in Colima and the exchanges between García Harfuch and Bukele highlight the importance of accuracy in international security reports . While the fight against drug trafficking requires speed, it also demands rigorous data management.

El Salvador is demanding to be disassociated from an air operation with alleged criminal links, while Mexico maintains its official version. The next few hours could be crucial for both countries to clarify the situation and avoid a larger diplomatic conflict.