US Seizes 'Narco Sub' with 8 Tons of Cocaine
By Aiswarya Lakshmi
Thursday, July 23, 2015
U.S. authorities have seized a submarine-like vessel loaded with more than seven tonnes of cocaine off the coast of El Salvador, the Guardian reports.
U.S. Navy, Customs and Border Protection and Coast Guard personnel took part in the operation.
The semi-submersible vessel was tracked in international waters off the El Salvador coast by U.S. aircraft. It was intercepted by the Coast Guard after a speedboat began to approach.
Inside the semi-submersible, authorities found 274 bales packed with 7,650kg (16,870 pounds) of cocaine worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Four suspected smugglers were taken into custody.
Traffickers use submarine-like vessels to move large amounts of cocaine because their low waterline profile makes them difficult to detect. Four suspected smugglers were taken into custody.
The interdiction is part of a 15-nation effort targeting international drug traffickers.
Narco subs were first spotted in the 1990s and were designed to sit underwater with only a cockpit and exhaust pipes above the waves. Since then Colombian police have found true submarines, capable of diving 300ft, under construction.