ARM Papaloapan, sister ship Huasteco deliver nearly 1,200 tonnes to Havana

Two Mexican Navy logistical support vessels named in reports as ARM Papaloapan and, by some outlets, the Huasteco docked in Havana harbour on Feb. 28, 2026 carrying humanitarian supplies that multiple sources described as nearly 1,200 tonnes in total. Onlookers lined Havana’s famed seawall and photographers captured the arrival; a social-media post on Facebook described the ships as having docked on Thursday, a claim that conflicts with the Feb. 28 date cited by other outlets.

Video footage circulated online shows port workers moving pallets and cargo from the two ships, and Viory Video explicitly described the cargo as “almost 1,200 tonnes.” A YouTube clip carried the headline “Two Mexican Navy ships carrying nearly 1,200 tons of aid arrive in Cuba” and in the captured snippet registered “1.3K views · 6 hours ago,” underscoring rapid online distribution of the footage.

The Mexican government offered a different, itemized breakdown reported by Wwltv: one vessel unloaded roughly 536 tons of food and hygiene items, including milk, rice, beans, sardines, meat products, cookies, canned tuna and vegetable oil, while the second ship carried just over 277 tons of powdered milk. Mathematically, the government’s itemized figures add to about 813 tonnes, a notable gap from the nearly 1,200 tonnes cited by several video reports and news outlets; the larger total in those reports was not accompanied by a published manifest.

President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico told reporters, as reported by Wwltv, that Mexico still plans to send 1,500 tons of beans and powdered milk and that “we will send more support of different kinds” as soon as the ships return. Sheinbaum also said Mexico has communicated to the United States that it seeks to promote peaceful dialogue and ensure Cuba “can receive oil and its derivatives for its daily operations.”

The shipments arrive amid heightened diplomatic friction. Wwltv reported the Mexican deliveries came two weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump warned of tariffs on countries providing oil to Cuba. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel called the U.S. threats an “energy blockade,” saying it affects “transportation, hospitals, schools, tourism and the production of food.” In recent days Cuban aviation officials warned airlines there is insufficient fuel for refueling on the island; Wwltv reported Air Canada suspended flights on Monday and other carriers adjusted routes with layovers in the Dominican Republic before continuing to Havana.

Local reactions were visible on the seawall. Javier González, watching the ships arrive, said: “Sometimes you think that things are going to improve, but it’s not like that. We can’t stay how we are because it’s too hard. We’ll have to wait and see.” Engineer Yohandri Espinosa, 34, who watched with his daughter and photographed the arrival, said: “This is incredibly important aid for the Cuban people at this moment. We are living through difficult times of great need and uncertainty, and we don’t know how long we will be like this.”

As the ships discharged cargo, Mexican officials signaled further deliveries and diplomatic efforts to resume oil supplies will continue, leaving the immediate question of exact tonnage and full manifests unresolved pending official Mexican Navy or government confirmation.