Mexico Authorizes Four US Air Force Medevac Aircraft

Mexico’s Ministry of National Defense (SEDENA) authorized the overflight and emergency landing of four United States Air Force aircraft in Mexican territory to carry out a humanitarian medical evacuation.

According to SEDENA, the authorization permitted “the overflight in national airspace of two Hercules tanker aircraft in aerial refueling functions and two HH-60W helicopters of the United States Air Force” to rescue “a patient who is part of the crew of a vessel located at sea 400 nautical miles west of Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur”. 

SEDENA stated that the authorization was granted “in accordance with the Bases of Coordination to Authorize Overflights in Mexican Airspace and the Landing of Foreign Aircraft,” the regulatory framework governing the entry and operation of foreign military aircraft in Mexico. The agency confirmed that the operation included both overflight clearance and an emergency landing in national territory to complete the mission.

“The Ministry of National Defense reaffirms its commitment to international cooperation to safeguard human life and regional security, under the principles of reciprocity, shared and differentiated responsibility, mutual trust, and respect for sovereign decisions and territories,” the agency said in a statement.

The authorization comes weeks after a separate incident involving a US military aircraft at Aeropuerto Internacional de Toluca drew public and political scrutiny.

On Jan. 17, a Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules operated by the US military landed at Toluca International Airport and departed the following day. The presence of a US military aircraft on Mexican soil raised questions because Mexico maintains strict constitutional controls over the entry of foreign armed forces and military equipment.

Some opposition legislators argued that the Senate had not been consulted or had not formally authorized the aircraft’s entry, as required under constitutional provisions governing the presence of foreign armed forces in national territory.

President Claudia Sheinbaum addressed the issue on Jan. 19, stating that the landing was carried out under a bilateral training agreement established in October and was not a unilateral decision by a single institution.

“It is not just one institution that decides individually. I believe it is better for a Mexican plane to go to the United States to transport those who are going to receive training than for a plane to come here. So it is much better. That is a decision that has been made,” Sheinbaum said.

She clarified that the flight had logistical purposes and that Mexican personnel were on board. The aircraft transported members of the Secretaría de Seguridad y Protección Ciudadana (SSPC) to the United States for training under established bilateral cooperation mechanisms.

The president added that such flights occur regularly and that the only unusual element in this case was the aircraft’s landing in Toluca, which prompted public attention. She said the government would have responded differently only if the aircraft had entered or overflown national territory without authorization. She also ruled out that the matter had been discussed in a phone call with US President Donald Trump.

In contrast to the Toluca case, SEDENA described the February authorization as explicitly humanitarian in nature. In a separate summary of the operation, the agency stated that it “authorized the emergency landing of US aircraft for humanitarian purposes,” emphasizing the life-saving objective of the mission.