ARM Santos Degollado
Minesweeper · Mexico · Lost 2022 · The Sea of Cortez
This WWII-built US minesweeper served nearly six decades before the Mexican Navy sank her at San Carlos in 2022 to start Sonora's artificial reef program.
The Vessel and Her Loss
Laid down in 1943 as USS Gladiator, an Auk-class minesweeper, the ship was transferred to Mexico and served the Armada de Mexico for decades before her eventual decommissioning. On March 3, 2022, the Mexican Navy sank her off San Carlos, Sonora, in coordination with the state government and local dive operators, creating the first wreck in what became the Sistema Arrecifal Artificial Sonorense, a planned multi-vessel artificial reef system in the Sea of Cortez.
Vessel
- 1943
- PO-106 (Mexican Navy); AM-319 (US Navy)
- General Engineering and Dry Dock Co.
- Alameda, California
- Steel
- 221 ft
- Not established
- Not established
- Diesel-electric, twin shaft
- Secretaria de Marina - Armada de Mexico (previously US Navy as USS Gladiator)
Loss
- March 3, 2022
- Intentional sinking
- West of the Aquilas/Eagles dive site, San Carlos Bay
- Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez)
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- 0
- Not established
The Wreck Today
- 20
- Intact, upright, top of superstructure near 20 feet below the surface.
- Upright
- Not established
- Part of the Sistema Arrecifal Artificial Sonorense (SAAS), developed with the Secretaria de Marina and the Sonora state government.
Position
- Not established
- Reported, unconfirmed
- San Carlos, Guaymas, Sonora
Evidence
Overall confidence: Partially documented (60/100)
Full Mexican Navy service history and final Mexican Navy designation prior to retirement are not established in the sources reviewed.
Project background, partnership between Mexican Navy, Sonora government, and Rotary clubs.
What's Up San Carlos (dive resource)
Sinking date, dimensions, depth, and Auk-class US Navy origin as USS Gladiator (AM-319).
