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Mexico Authorizes U.S. Air Force Overflight for Offshore Medical Evacuation

Officials characterized the clearance as an exceptional humanitarian measure under established coordination rules, with scrutiny heightened by a recent U.S. Hercules stop in Toluca.

Overview

  • SEDENA confirmed it granted temporary permission for U.S. military aircraft to enter Mexican airspace under the Bases de Coordinación governing foreign overflights.
  • The authorization covered two Hercules configured as aerial refueling tankers and two HH-60W helicopters assigned to conduct the medical evacuation.
  • The mission aimed to rescue a crew member needing urgent care from a vessel located about 400 nautical miles west of Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur.
  • The clearance explicitly allowed for an emergency landing in Mexico if operational conditions required it, with the scope limited to the medical rescue.
  • Authorities withheld the patient’s identity and vessel details, and the announcement comes after public attention to a prior U.S. military Hercules landing in Toluca that officials said was authorized for training logistics.