Ortega and Murillo's dictatorship denied that the cocaine seized by El Salvador, valued at USD 48 million, had departed from Nicaragua

The Nicaraguan regime rejected the claims about the route of the shipment and requested information from El Salvador about the cause. (Illustrative image Infobae) The Attorney General's Office of El Salvador (FGR) reported this Thursday, October 8, that it dismantled part of a transnational drug trafficking structure that moved cocaine by sea from Nicaragua to Guatemala, with El Salvador as a transit country. Hours after the announcement, the Nicaraguan regime shared a statement in which it rejected the claims of the Salvadoran investigation and requested information about the case. The operation, carried out in the early morning in the Salvadoran departments of Ahuachapán, Usulután, and La Paz, was led by the FGR itself and the National Civil Police (PNC). According to the Attorney General's Office, the organization used local fishermen to obtain fuel, GPS devices, and boats for transporting the shipments. The investigation began in July 2024. According to the report released by the prosecutorial authorities, so far 1,917 kilos of cocaine, valued at USD 48,193,380, have been seized, along with six boats. In addition, a total of twelve people had already been arrested before the October 8 operation. The newly arrested will be prosecuted for the crimes of illicit trafficking, international illicit trafficking, and illicit groups, according to the Salvadoran Attorney General's Office through its official channels. Those arrested in the operation face charges of international illicit trafficking and illicit groups in El Salvador. (Courtesy: Attorney General's Office of El Salvador) "Those captured will be prosecuted for illicit trafficking, international illicit trafficking, and illicit groups," stated the FGR. The reaction from Managua came hours later. In a verbal note addressed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of El Salvador, the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo questioned the transfer of cocaine from Nicaraguan territory by sea. At the same time, the regime maintained that it "rejects the claims" and asserted that it does not have verifiable information that would allow it to know the basis of the investigation presented by the authorities of El Salvador. The Nicaraguan dictatorship formally requested that the Government of El Salvador share, through institutional channels, the available information on the events and the background that support the Attorney General's Office's statement. At the same time, the statement emphasizes that, with that documentation, it will be able to evaluate what happened and offer a response "with due legal and diplomatic rigor." The communication indicates that Nicaragua considers that the claims should be addressed through the exchange of information between the competent authorities and through diplomatic channels. The Salvadoran authorities seized 1,917 kilos of cocaine valued at more than 48 million dollars during the investigation. (Courtesy: Attorney General's Office of the Republic) In addition, the Nicaraguan regime reiterated its commitment to the prevention and fight against drug trafficking and transnational organized crime. The Attorney General's Office of El Salvador did not attribute in its statement the participation of Nicaraguan officials or state institutions of that country in the network under investigation. The investigation by the Salvadoran public prosecutor's office points to a maritime route that, according to the official version, departed from Nicaragua, passed through waters near El Salvador, and had Guatemala as its final destination. The case opened a new point of tension between San Salvador and Managua, while the Salvadoran authorities advance with the processing of those arrested and the analysis of the items seized during the investigation.