A stealthy submarine suspected of smuggling thousands of pounds of cocaine was stopped by the us coast guard in the eastern pacific ocean off south america. Aug 12, 2016 discover book depositorys huge selection of drugs trade drug trafficking books online. Columbia uses submarines to smuggle drugs submarine diary. Your life preserver does not show up on our radar so you must be smuggling drugs. As radar coverage improved, colombian drug cartels began to develop semisubmersibles in the 1990s to avoid radar detection. Drug smugglers on drug smuggling features interviews with 34 convicted drug smugglers most of them once major operators detailing exactly how drugs are smuggled into the u. Concerns have also been raised that such vessels could be utilized for purposes of terrorism. The vessel was seized off the coast of pontevedra, in spains northwestern galicia region. Drugs trade drug trafficking books book depository.
Actually, it wasnt a submarine, but a semisubmersible. These craft often had sophisticated electronics for evading capture. Jul 15, 2019 josh sigurdson reports on the recent viral video of two coast guard men jumping on a submarine filled with cocaine and slamming their fists down on the hatch causing the smuggler to submit. The fiberglass boat, powered by a diesel engine, had a small conning tower above the water, providing the crew, and engine, with fresh air, and permitting the crew to navigate the boat. The coast guard only catches 11 percent of drugfilled semisubmersible vessels. In 2010, authorities in ecuador announced that they had seized an actual submarine designed for smuggling drugs. Coast guard cutter munro wmsl755 crew members board a selfpropelled semisubmersible drug smuggling vessel spss june 18, 2019, while operating in international waters in the pacific. The subs discovery does beg the question as to whether or not more drug traffickers will start employing drug smuggling submarines to get their product into illegal markets.
A real submarine, capable of carrying 510 tons of cocaine, would cost a lot more, and require a better trained crew. The colombian navy has seized a submarine modified by drugs smugglers to carry up to eight tons of cocaine to mexico. The 75foot boat was capable of shipping about 9 tons of cocaine. But submarines are a much newer drug smuggling trend. The socalled narcosubmarine, used for smuggling cocaine, was being abandoned by its crew. First true submarine captured from american drug smugglers. Colombian navy personnel escort a semi submarine, which, according to colombian authorities, is used to transport illicit drugs, at the atrato river in turbo province, near medellin, june 1, 2009. Feb 15, 2011 the colombian navy has seized a submarine modified by drugs smugglers to carry up to eight tons of cocaine to mexico. The socalled narco submarine recently recovered in spain may be connected to an example captured over 5,000 miles away in the eastern pacific in january.
Jun, 2017 colombian drug smugglers built this stealthy, special forcesinspired boat trading raw speed for stealth, socalled very slender vessels are designed to slice through the waves and deliver drug. A narcosubmarine captured by the peruvian navy in december 2019. The objective of the interview component of our work was to gather information on perceptions of the relationship between interdiction operations in the drug source, transit, and arrival zones and the corresponding effect on illegal drug smuggling from individuals with. First ever transatlantic drug submarine is captured by. Colombian drug smugglers built this stealthy, special. Ecuador seizes drugrunning super submarine for years, rumors circulated that drug cartels planned to build submarines to smuggle cocaine up the pacific coast. A narco submarine also called drug sub is a type of custommade oceangoing selfpropelled submersible vessel built by drug traffickers to smuggle drugs.
Texas police respond to burglary with guns drawn, big surprise. Two alleged crew members were arrested after attempting to leave the boat and swim ashore. At one time escobar supplied 80 percent of all the. This book gave me complete information for an excellent character profile. A narco submarine also called drug sub is a type of custommade oceangoing self propelled. Over time, their increasing need to evade capture and confiscation of narcotics led drug cartels to move away from using gofast boats and planes, and instead turn towards. In 2008 the number spotted has already reached the 2007 count. At the building sites, smugglers ferry in thousands of pounds of materials, a labor force, and, sometimes, russian submarine designers. As you are now resisting arrest i will have to taze you. The interdiction brought the total amount of cocaine seized in fiscal year 2016, which was october 1, 2015, to september 30, 2016, to over 416,600 pounds.
First true submarine captured from american drug smugglers proper dieselelectric boat found at jungle shipyard by lewis page 6 jul 2010 at 11. Inside the submarine a huge haul of blow amounting to 12,800lb was discovered, along with a loaded gun in the cockpit. Moreover, a conventional sub actually spends most of its time running on the surface anyway, or just beneath it using a snorkel device to obtain air. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs through the use of drug prohibition laws.
Career drug smugglers describe a series of often disconnected networks that enable smugglers to best organize their business in a way that will minimize the risks of apprhension and maximize profits. In 1980s, gofast boats became the drugsmuggling vessel of choice in many parts of the world, though these boats were able to be detected by radar. Colombian narcotraffickers use underwater crafts to sink to new depths getting their products to market. The diy submarines smuggling millions of dollars of. First ever transatlantic drug submarine is captured by spanish. The worldwide invasion by the narcosubmarine fleet robert tucker. The subsequent investigation of the downed cargo plane revealed for the first rime a connection between the office of george bush and a clandestine campaign to. Supplied but the vessels which can carry tonnes of drugs. Over the last few decades, drug smuggling from latin america to the us has become a highly lucrative business. Drugsmuggling submarine stopped by the us coast guard.
The illegal drug trade or drug trafficking is a global black market dedicated to the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of drugs that are subject to drug prohibition laws. Us coast guard seizes narco submarine with cocaine in. The other problem is that even with a trained crew, they still may be caught and that rather large investment into the submarine and crew could be lost. Coast guard says a cutter interdicted a submarine suspected of smuggling drugs in the pacific ocean. The first narco submarine ever seized off a european coast is a. Colombian drug smugglers caught using electrical submarines. A narco submarine spanish authorities seized off the coast of. After authorities on sunday intercepted the first loaded narcosubmarine ever caught in european waters, which was carrying more than 3,000 kilograms of highquality cocaine, the police have. But in the last decade the drug gangs have developed real submarines, capable of carrying 510 tons of cocaine that cost a lot more and dont require a highly trained crew. Coast guard officers leap on to suspected drug smuggling.
Drug smuggling submarine caught with ten tonnes of cocaine. Colombian navy personnel escort a semisubmarine, which, according to colombian authorities, is used to transport illicit drugs, at the atrato river in turbo province, near medellin, june 1, 2009. It is the first fully functional, completely submersible submarine for transoceanic voyages that we have ever found, said jay bergman, the andean regional director for the u. Semisubmersible crafts used for drug smuggling are also referred to as narco submarines. Apparently, a drug trafficking outfit built it in the middle of the jungle. Remember the drug smugglers submarine that was captured by ecuadoran police last year. The worldwide invasion by the narcosubmarine fleet tells the history of submarines and how the black market has embraced them for drug smuggling around the world, and what authorities have started to try to do about it. Jan 17, 20 a navy sailor drives a seized submarine, used by drug traffickers to smuggle drugs, while displaying it to the media in atrato river, coast of turbo, colombia on january 8th the colombian navy captured its first drug smuggling submersible vessel of the year. Colombian police find submarine for smuggling drugs, page 1. Dramatic video shows coast guard nabbing suspected drugsmuggling submarine. The capabilities of these craft has noticeably increased. Finally they caught up with the improbable vessel, the latest innovation in the decadesold drug war. In a surprising show of ingenuity, however, the sub utilizes some seriously advanced technology according to one official from the navys country. Drug smuggling submarine caught with ten tonnes of.
In 2006 and 2007 a new method of smuggling emerged, surface skimming, semisubmersible, homemade submarines were captured from thailand to spain to colombia. They are especially known to be used by colombian drug cartel members to export cocaine from colombia to mexico, which is often then transported overland to the united states. The lowslung, dieselpropelled vessel, painted a dark shade to blend with. Jul 06, 2010 a boat of this type is the only practical kind of submarine for drug smuggling. Goshif someone were truly thinking of entering the drug smuggling profession, they should buy this book, as it gives very sound advice. How a smalltown girl accidentally wound up smuggling 7,000 pounds of marijuana with the pot princess of beverly hills, comes out march 24. The submarine was outfitted to hold more than four tons of cocaine for drug cartels cells linked to the eln guerrilla. It runs right below the waterline, with just its exhaust, air stack and tiny. National police, and customs service captured the craft off galicia on nov. The worldwide invasion by the narcosubmarine fleet tells the history of submarines and how the black market has embraced them for drug smuggling around the. How drug smuggling narcotics submarines boom is fuelled by. This 30meter long submarine, used to smuggle huge amount of cocaine, was was seized in ecuador yesterday. Coast guard seizes drugfilled narcosub in pacific the. In june, the coast guard seized another narcosub in the eastern pacific with 17,000 pounds of cocaine in a daring capture caught on video.
Cocaine seized from narcosubmarine in spain was likely headed. Despite the efforts of several national and international law enforcement agencies to seize drugs, arrest smugglers, disrupt the operational capabilities of cartels, and diminish the flow of illicit drugs, drug smuggling continues. Last year, for the first time, authorities captured a fully submersible submarine. Personally, im thinking of writing a novel, and including some drug smuggling characters. The first drug smuggling submersibles from around 1993 are barely what wed call a submarine but would probably be familiar to confederate soldiers. This book is brought to you for free and open access by the cgu faculty. During the past twenty years, colombias various drug cartels have engaged in investing in and developing narcosubmarine technology that will yield a competitive edge. Jan 31, 2020 smugglers have been using aircraft almost since aircraft existed the first airborne smuggler to be caught, an italian named antonio smeroglio, was nabbed in 1911. Watch a coast guardsman leap onto a moving narcosubmarine full. Colombian drug smugglers built this stealthy, special forces. Video shows coast guard jumping on drug submarine in the middle of the pacific.
A narcosubmarine is a type of custommade oceangoing selfpropelled submersible vessel built by drug traffickers to smuggle drugs. The hull, they discovered, was made from a costly and exotic mixture of kevlar and carbon fiber, tough enough to. Coast guard shows an interdiction team at sea, shouting in spanish while forcibly. National geographic is the worlds premium destination for science, exploration, and adventure.
A video shows coast guard officers boarding the submarine and ordering those inside to. The book, drug subs, written by dr robert spalding is the first factual book in. Just over 20 years ago, narcosubmarines emerged as an alternative method of. Inside seized drugsmuggling submarines photo essays time. Jim popkin of wired wrote a detailed look at its design after reading a report by the us navy.
President donald trump has praised the amazing coast guard sailors after dramatic footage showed them jumping on to a moving submarine in the pacific ocean to stop drug traffickers carrying cocaine. On sunday, the authorities intercepted the first narcosubmarine ever caught in european waters. The drugs were seized in 14 operations since may in waters off mexico and central. Drug smugglers pose underwater challenge in caribbean. The subsequent investigation of the downed cargo plane revealed for the first rime a connection between the office of george bush and a clandestine campaign to arm the contras during the 1984. The sub caught on the 18th was classed as a blue semisubmersible which has been a cartel favorite for years. Popular drug trafficking books meet your next favorite book. Colombian drug smugglers built this stealthy, special forcesinspired boat trading raw speed for stealth, socalled very slender vessels are designed to slice through the waves and deliver drug.
Apr 19, 20 the first drug smuggling submersibles from around 1993 are barely what wed call a submarine but would probably be familiar to confederate soldiers. Drug trafficking fiction, crimes fiction, books barnes. These sources provide tangible evidence of the risks, rewards, and organization of international drug smuggling. The drugs cargo is believed to have been bound for mexico along a smuggling route which has already seen authorities intercept five improvised submarines carrying illicit narcotics and weapons in the space of a year. Incredible cartel drugsmuggling submarine captured by. Video shows coast guard jumping on drug submarine in the. After the seizure, eln forces tried to use force to keep military forces from taking the submarine out of the river. Dec, 2017 a vessel harboring 3,800 pounds of cocaine tied to drug cartels was recovered by the u. They appear to have scuttled it to hide the evidence. Us coast guard boards narco submarine carrying 17,000 pounds of. Smugglers have been using aircraft almost since aircraft existed the first airborne smuggler to be caught, an italian named antonio smeroglio, was nabbed in 1911.
Two were arrested and a third suspect was reported. Coast guard service member busted a speeding semisubmersible boat carrying cocaine. A boat of this type is the only practical kind of submarine for drug smuggling. Pablo escobars drugsmuggling submarine found by excia divers.
Dramatic video shows the coast guard trying to stop a vessel suspected of smuggling drugs into the united states. May, 2012 cocaine smuggling by submarine may, 2012 havocscope united states security and intelligence officials estimate that up to 32 percent of all cocaine smuggled into the united states from latin america is transported with the use of underwater submarines built by drug cartels. Jul 11, 2019 president donald trump has praised the amazing coast guard sailors after dramatic footage showed them jumping on to a moving submarine in the pacific ocean to stop drug traffickers carrying cocaine. A boat of this type was, since they first appeared in the early 1990s, thought to be the only practical kind of submarine for drug smuggling. A total of nine semisubmarines were confiscated in 2009, preventing drug smugglers from exporting about 30 tons 27,216 kg of cocaine. Drug smugglers on drug smuggling examines the organizational structures of drug smuggling from colombia to the us. Oct 23, 2009 drug smuggling submarine seized with ten tonnes of cocaine off guatemalan coast a makeshift submarine laden with at least ten tonnes of cocaine worth more than. This book presents an interview based study on drug smuggling into the united states. Narco sub filled with 3,800 pounds of cocaine intercepted by. Smuggling drugs in submarines public radio international.
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