Overview
- The Navy operation, carried out Wednesday about 15 nautical miles east of the Mezquital coast, left the decommissioned Onjuku on the seabed with navigation markers in place.
- Marines used remotely activated charges from the ship ARM Papaloapan to open controlled water inlets after environmental cleanup removed fuels, plastics, and other contaminants.
- Officials said the wreck will provide shelter for marine life, help rebuild fish stocks such as red snapper, curb illegal fishing, and support scientific research and diving.
- The scuttling forms part of a national program creating four artificial reef systems plus a planned underwater park in Sonora, Tamaulipas, Michoacán, and Colima.
- Built in Japan and donated to Mexico in 1977, Onjuku served more than 40 years; the ceremony included Mexico’s Navy chief, the Tamaulipas governor, the environment secretary, and Japan’s ambassador, with President Claudia Sheinbaum observing remotely.