The controversy has escalated not only due to the initial claim made by Mexico, but also because of the lack of a direct apology or formal correction—raising concerns about reputational harm to El Salvador.
On July 3, 2025, Mexican authorities intercepted a small aircraft carrying over 427 kilograms of white powder, later identified as illicit substances, in Tecomán, Colima.
The aircraft was seized, and its three crew members arrested. Initial reports from Mexico’s Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), led by Omar García Harfuch, claimed the plane had taken off from El Salvador.
This assertion was publicly challenged by El Salvador’s President, Nayib Bukele, who issued a detailed response on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). Bukele refuted the statement, stating that radar data from Costa Rica and the U.S. Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATFS) in Key West confirmed the aircraft’s route over the Pacific Ocean—never entering Salvadoran airspace.
“The aircraft never flew over our territory,” Bukele emphasized, adding that the radar trail was well south of El Salvador and Nicaragua. Furthermore, the President disclosed that all three detained individuals were Mexican nationals, information that had not been made public by Mexican authorities at the time.
Official Silence and Avoidance
Omar García Harfuch responded once to Bukele’s post, reiterating that the aircraft’s trace was detected 200 km south of San Salvador, but he stopped short of claiming it entered Salvadoran airspace. He did not reply to Bukele’s follow-up message, in which the Salvadoran president called for a formal clarification.
Meanwhile, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum addressed the issue briefly during her daily press briefing known as “La Mañanera.” When asked whether the government would formally clarify the plane’s origin, she responded:
“The Secretary has already clarified. We shouldn’t politicize this. There was no ill intent. The issue is resolved.”
This response has drawn criticism for dismissing the need for a formal correction after what El Salvador considers a serious accusation.
El Salvador Demands Accountability
Bukele’s administration views the situation not as a minor misunderstanding, but as a reputational issue with diplomatic consequences. The Salvadoran government has called its ambassador in Mexico back for consultations—an official move that signals discontent between two allied nations.
The core of the dispute lies in the lack of evidence supporting Mexico’s original claim, coupled with its failure to issue a clear public correction, despite the evidence presented by El Salvador and the admission that the crew was entirely Mexican.
A Fragile Diplomatic Moment
Though Mexico seems intent on moving past the issue quietly, El Salvador’s government has made it clear that it will not accept being linked to the transnational transport of illicit substances without concrete proof.
In a region where reputation and sovereignty carry heavy weight, especially in international relations and security cooperation, such disputes can have lasting effects if not resolved diplomatically.
Whether Mexico will issue a formal clarification remains to be seen. For now, the incident leaves an uncomfortable strain between two neighboring countries that typically cooperate closely on regional security.
Update: Friday, July 11, 2025
Almost two days after President Nayib Bukele tweeted to García Harfuch about the issue, the Mexican government finally issued an official statement clarifying that the light aircraft did not originate from El Salvador—exactly as President Bukele had asserted.
Ultimately, it remains unclear whether the Mexican government’s initial statement was made with malicious intent or was simply an error. After El Salvador’s reputation was tarnished by this declaration, President Bukele thanked the Mexican government for the clarification in an X post, adding that he now awaits the media outlets that spread the news to issue corresponding retractions.
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