Retired Admiral Julio César Pescina Ávila was appointed this Friday as general director of the National Port System Administration (Asipona) Mazatlán , in a designation that reinforces the presence of high-ranking naval profiles at the head of Mexico’s port operations
With this appointment, the Secretariat of the Navy (Semar) maintains the current management line of the national port system, characterized by the designation of profiles from the naval field, in a context in which Mexican ports face greater demands in terms of operational control, efficiency and logistical competitiveness.
Pescina Ávila has a distinguished career within the Mexican Navy. Between May and October 2024, he served as Undersecretary of the Navy, in addition to holding positions such as Rector of the Naval University , Commander of the Sixth and Twelfth Naval Regions, Director of the Naval Engineering School, and Head of the Naval Intelligence Unit. His profile combines operational command, academic training, and strategic planning, attributes that have been key in the recent reconfiguration of the country’s maritime and port governance.
In the academic field, he is a graduate of the Heroic Naval Military School and holds a master’s degree and completed the General Staff Course at the Center for Higher Naval Studies, where he graduated first in his class. He also completed diplomas in National Security, Political Analysis, and Human Rights at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and the Center for Economic Research and Teaching. Throughout his career, he has received numerous national and international decorations.
The arrival of the new director comes at a time of moderate growth for the Port of Mazatlán. From January to November 2025, the terminal handled 4.24 million tons of cargo, a 4.1% increase compared to the same period in 2024. In container handling, the port registered 42,441 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), representing an 8.2% year-over-year increase, while the automotive sector showed a 4.5% contraction, with 148,560 new vehicles handled, according to data from the Ports and Merchant Marine Unit of the Mexican Navy (Semar).
With this change in the general management, Asipona Mazatlán begins a new stage under a leadership with strong naval roots , at a time when the port seeks to consolidate its operational growth, strengthen its regional role in the Pacific and align itself with the strategic priorities of the national port system.
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