Overview
- After 96 hours of search operations, the Mexican Navy moved the mission to “activo suspendido,” relying on transiting ships that have been formally notified to report any sightings.
- An ocean patrol vessel and a maritime patrol aircraft were stood down from the search and returned to regular duties while remaining alert for new leads.
- The search followed U.S. attacks on four small boats in international waters about 400 nautical miles southwest of Acapulco on October 28, with 14 people reported dead and a possible survivor.
- Mexico said the search-and-rescue was conducted under the SOLAS framework after a request from the U.S. Coast Guard to locate the reported castaway.
- Mexico is seeking talks with U.S. counterparts to review protocols as UN human rights officials and a U.S. lawmaker question the strikes’ legality and identity verification within a wider campaign that has tallied about 61 deaths since September.