Rear Admiral
Rafael Noreña Butrón

Director of the Technology, Humanities, Languages, and Intelligence School

Rear Admiral Rafael Noreña Butrón, a graduate of the General Corps, was born on June 15, 1974, in Mexico City. He joined the Mexican Naval Academy as a cadet in 1989.

He graduated from the Mexican Naval Academy as an Engineer in Naval Sciences and graduated as a Midshipman in 1994. He was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral, which he currently holds, on November 20, 2023.

He has served as Officer with different positions, Chief Engineer, Executive Officer, and Commanding Officer in various surface units of the Mexican Navy, Instructor at the Mexican Naval Academy, and crew member of the Tall Training Ship Cuauhtémoc (BE-01). He was director and founder member of CENCAVELA, liaison with the Ministry of the Interior in the area of Civil Protection and FONDEN, Chief of CEREGINA 04 and 06, and liaison for the Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF South) in Key West, Florida, USA.

His academic background includes various postgraduate studies, among them:

At CESNAV, Naval Command Course, Operations Analysis Specialty Course, Master's Degree in Naval Administration (DEM), Master's Degree in National Security, Master's Degree in Administration at the Universidad del Golfo, Tactical Leadership Course at CENCAEIM, Sailing Course at B.E. Cuauhtémoc, Sailing Instructor Course at the Mexican Sailing Federation, among other courses and diplomas.

Decorations:

Honorable Mention, Academic Honorable Mention, First to Sixth Perseverance Class for 35 years of service, Naval Intelligence Distinction, Navy General Staff Badge Decoration, B.E. Cuauhtémoc Training Ship Decoration, Meritorious Defense Service Medal awarded by the United States Department of Defense, First Class Naval Teaching Merit Medal.

He has two children, Rafael and Frida Michelle Noreña Avilés.