José Rafael Ojeda Durán

José Rafael Ojeda Durán
José Rafael Ojeda Durán
Born	February 3, 1954 (age 70); Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
Allegiance	Mexico
Service/branch	Mexican Navy
Years of service	1974–present
Rank	Secretariat of the Navy
Commands	(Former commands over); Llava; Colon; Guillermo Prieto; Morelos; Sixth Mexican F Flotilla; Pacific Naval Force; Eighth Naval Region
Battles/wars	Mexican Drug War
Awards	Sixth-First Class Perserverance Awards; Third-Second Exceptional Perserverance Awards
Alma mater	Heroica Escuela Naval Militar
Spouse(s)	Sandra Luz Laguna Rivera
Children	3

José Rafael Ojeda Durán (born 3 February 1954) is the Mexican Secretary of the Navy in the Cabinet of Andrés Manuel López Obrador. He has worked in the Mexican Navy in various positions for nearly 50 years.^[1]

He is a member of the Mexican Legion of Honor.^[2]

Biography

José Rafael Ojeda Durán was born on 3 February 1954. Joining the Heroica Escuela Naval Militar (where he later served as a professor) in 1969, he later graduated as a Guardiamarina (Midshipman) in 1974.

In the time after his graduation, he served in the Navy for 50 years on a variety of vessels, commands, and assorted offices. Among these: he led the Eighth Naval Region, Fourteenth Naval Region, Sixth Flotilla, Pacific Naval Force, Chief of Naval Operations, and was a Senior Naval Admiral.^[3]

Durán was appointed to Secretariat of the Navy under the presidential cabinet of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, having prior served as an Inspector and General Comptroller of the Navy.^[2] He was appointed on 30 November 2018.^[4]

Controversy

Durán was criticized for not investigating the Iguala mass kidnapping when it was theorized that the 43 victims were incinerated by sailors operating in the Eighth Naval Region, which he had control over at the time.^[5]^[6]

Tropical Storm Hernan

In 2020, he announced a so-called 'Naval Plan' to help aid those affected by Tropical Storm Hernan. This program consisted of rescue operations, cleanup, and evacuations, conducted by 450 units of the Mexican Navy.^[2]