A 5.6 magnitude earthquake struck in the Gulf of California on Thursday, a region known for seismic activity and also used by Mexican drug cartels.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) recorded the quake 47 miles from Santa Rosalía at 7:04am ET. It followed two smaller tremors earlier in the day, measuring 4.4 and 4.6 in magnitude.
The Gulf of California has long been exploited by cartels, including factions of the Sinaloa Cartel, to move drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl, as well as migrants, into the US.
The quake is part of Mexico‘s broader seismic context, which is shaped by its position atop three major tectonic plates.
The North American, Pacific and Cocos plates interact in ways that make Mexico one of the most seismically active countries in the world. The Pacific Ocean floor south of Mexico is being pushed northeastward by the dense Cocos plate.
As it meets the lighter continental crust of Mexico, the oceanic crust is subducted beneath the North American plate, forming the Middle American Trench along the southern coast.
This process not only triggers earthquakes but also fuels volcanic activity, creating the Cordillera Neovolcánica, a chain of volcanoes across south-central Mexico.
Mexico has a long history of destructive earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. In 1985, a magnitude 8.0 earthquake killed more than 9,500 people in Mexico City. Volcán de Colima and El Chichón erupted in 2005 and 1982, respectively.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) recorded the quake 47 miles from Santa Rosalía at 7:04am ET
Popocatépetl and Ixtaccíhuatl volcanoes southeast of Mexico City continue to vent gas, and Popocatépetl last erupted in 2010, highlighting that volcanic activity remains a constant threat.
Only a few dozen people issued shaking reports to the USGS following the three earthquakes.
This was likely due to the seismic activity occurring in the middle of the Gulf, which is a key trafficking route for the Sinaloa Cartel.
The Sinaloa Cartel is considered one of the largest and most powerful drug trafficking organizations in the Western Hemisphere.
The cartel, historically led by Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán, employs small, fast boats called ‘lanchas’ to navigate the Gulf of California, allowing them to go undetected by border police.
They also use tunnels and other clandestine methods to move illicit cargo while engaging in violent turf wars and corruption to maintain control.
President Donald Trump is allegedly planning to send US troops to Mexico in the latest escalation against drug cartels.
The mission is in early stages, but plans would include ground operations inside Mexico and drone strikes on drug labs and cartel leaders, four sources familiar with the effort told NBC News.
The Trump administration is planning to put troops on the ground in Mexico to combat drug cartels and gangs, according to a new report. The earthquake hit in a region known for seismic activity and also used by Mexican drug cartels.
If green-lit, the plan would exponentially expand on the administration’s ongoing military campaign against drug cartels, which have so far focused on Venezuela and Colombia with drone strikes against suspected drug cartel vessels in the Caribbean and Atlantic.
So far 64 people have been killed in the 15 strikes that began taking place in early September.
The latest was carried out in the Caribbean Sea over the weekend against an undisclosed terrorist organization, and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced that three people were taken out in the strike.
Past US administrations have quietly deployed military, law enforcement and intelligence forces to support Mexican police and army units fighting drug cartels.
But current plans would be more boisterous and would see the US taking direct action against them – maybe even without Mexican cooperation.
It’s not clear how many troops would be deployed and what the timeline is for a potential operation. Two current US officials and one former official claim that a deployment to Mexico is not imminent.
