On August 23, the Peruvian Navy (MGP, in Spanish), through the Iquitos Port Captaincy, seized more than 1 ton of marijuana in a riverine operation on the Napo River, Loreto department. During the operation, the MGP said in a press release, a confrontation took place with armed individuals, leaving one MGP service member wounded. Two of the three suspects were neutralized, while the third escaped.
“As a result of this operation, they [the authorities] approached this vessel to inspect it, and when they approached, they [the suspects] opened fire on our personnel,” MGP Rear Admiral César Benavides Iraola, commander of the Fifth Naval Zone and head of the Captaincy District N.°5, which includes the Iquitos and Yurimaguas captaincies, told Diálogo.
“They [MGP service members] approached and found packages on board during the search,” Rear Adm. Benavides said. The marijuana seized totaled 1,020 kilograms, the MGP reported.
In addition to the drug, authorities seized an M-4 assault rifle, an AR-15 automatic light rifle, a submachine gun, and ammunition.
From January 1 to August 23, with the support of the National Police and the Office of the Attorney General, the MGP carried out 26 riverine operations in the Peruvian Amazon to fight against narcotrafficking and illegal mining, Rear Adm. Benavides said. The seizures, he said, included “1 ton of marijuana, 6,700 gallons [25,362 liters] of chemical precursors, 47 facilities, [and] 25 labs. We’ve seized weapons and confiscated seven vessels that were under investigation because of their connection with [illicit] activities. This shows that the effort is paying off.”