A private business jet that was stolen in Mexico was found crashed in a Guatemalan jungle with two male passengers, as well as three kilograms of cocaine and a number of unspecified weapons onboard.
The aircraft, a BAe 125 twin-engine jet, was reportedly stolen from Cuernavaca Airport on Tuesday, before it was found to have crashed in a mountainous area of northern Guatemala, with two passengers and a stash of illegal drugs and weapons onboard.
According to Mexican authorities, three unidentified men walked onto the airstrip at Cuernavaca Airport on Tuesday, claiming to be mechanics working on the plane, and proceeded to fuel up the aircraft.
Two of these men then entered the plane and took off down the runway at around midday local time on Tuesday, without authorisation or a flight plan in place. Authorities tracked the plane as it travelled south.
Several hours later, the plane then landed at Zulia airport in Venezuela’s north-west, close to the Colombian border, according to the Guatemalan military, where it stayed put for a short time.
The plane then took off again, towards Guatemala, where it crashed in the mountainous Alta Verapaz region shortly after 8pm local time on Wednesday.
It is not clear what caused the crash, however the aircraft appears to have struck trees and crashed into a wooded area near the airstrip.
The aircraft was largely destroyed by a post-crash fire, and both pilots onboard were killed. Neither has been identified.
Also found in the crashed aircraft was three kilograms of cocaine found in three separate packages, as well as a range of unspecified guns.
Guatemalan authorities initially incorrectly identified the burned aircraft as a Hawker 800.
Meanwhile, Mexican authorities have said they will be launching an investigation into the matter.
