José Rafael Ojeda Durán

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]

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]

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]