Crime Cocaine-laden Colombian Narco Submarines Are Bigger, Faster, and More Sophisticated Than Ever

[Arkain2K]

Wow, they build them well enough to cross the Atlantic now

First transatlantic 'narco sub' carrying 'tonnes of cocaine' captured off Spanish coast

​

A submarine believed to be carrying around 3.5 tonnes of cocaine has been towed into port after being intercepted off the Spanish coast.

It sank as police tried to intercept it in the Aldan inlet in the Galicia region at the weekend. It's believed the crew tried to sink it on purpose.

Two Ecuadorian nationals have been arrested but another person managed to escape.

Authorities could not confirm the origin of the sub or the intended recipient, but media reports said police suspect it is from Colombia.

The 20-metre (65ft) sub was towed into port at Aldan - in the northeast of the country - and refloated with the help of divers and balloons.

Police divers pulled out one package of cocaine on Monday but there are believed to be tonnes on board.

Spanish authorities said it was the first time they have found a submarine being used to smuggle drugs into the country.

They had been monitoring its movements in recent days in collaboration with international police.

In September, a sub with five tonnes of cocaine worth about £133m was captured by the Florida coastguard in the eastern Pacific.

https://news.sky.com/story/first-tr...f-cocaine-captured-off-spanish-coast-11871309

 

[Pseudo Sane]

Wow, they build them well enough to cross the Atlantic now

I mean, people have crossed the Atlantic in smaller vessels, but 20m is a tiny boat for an extended trip (especially if you are submerged), and that is a 3 to 4 week trip most of the time.

I wouldn't be shocked to find out they were dropped off somewhere in international waters to make the last leg of the trip in.

 

[MikeMcMann]

I mean, people have crossed the Atlantic in smaller vessels, but 20m is a tiny boat for an extended trip (especially if you are submerged), and that is a 3 to 4 week trip most of the time.

I wouldn't be shocked to find out they were dropped off somewhere in international waters to make the last leg of the trip in.

That would be my bet as well.

Leave port as a sub to be hidden. Get picked up on route by ocean liner and taxi'd for most of the journey. Dropped off again close to destination to make last leg of journey as a sub to remain hidden.

 

[Fugazy]

Wow, they build them well enough to cross the Atlantic now

First transatlantic 'narco sub' carrying 'tonnes of cocaine' captured off Spanish coast

​

A submarine believed to be carrying around 3.5 tonnes of cocaine has been towed into port after being intercepted off the Spanish coast.

It sank as police tried to intercept it in the Aldan inlet in the Galicia region at the weekend. It's believed the crew tried to sink it on purpose.

Two Ecuadorian nationals have been arrested but another person managed to escape.

Authorities could not confirm the origin of the sub or the intended recipient, but media reports said police suspect it is from Colombia.

The 20-metre (65ft) sub was towed into port at Aldan - in the northeast of the country - and refloated with the help of divers and balloons.

Police divers pulled out one package of cocaine on Monday but there are believed to be tonnes on board.

Spanish authorities said it was the first time they have found a submarine being used to smuggle drugs into the country.

They had been monitoring its movements in recent days in collaboration with international police.

In September, a sub with five tonnes of cocaine worth about £133m was captured by the Florida coastguard in the eastern Pacific.

https://news.sky.com/story/first-tr...f-cocaine-captured-off-spanish-coast-11871309

Up the coast of SA is one thing, but across ACROSS an ocean??? These mfers are crazy!!

 

[Pseudo Sane]

That would be my bet as well.

Leave port as a sub to be hidden. Get picked up on route by ocean liner and taxi'd for most of the journey. Dropped off again close to destination to make last leg of journey as a sub to remain hidden.

Makes sense. The real problem with smuggling is point of entry, isn't it?

 

[MikeMcMann]

Makes sense. The real problem with smuggling is point of entry, isn't it?

Yup.

Discovery is highest at ports at either destination.

And my understanding is that these hobby subs have limited hours they can spend under water. Thus why they get caught at open sea by Coast Guard and cannot just submerge. They used up all their hours. And they would make very inefficient surface vehicles for long periods of time (such as Ocean crossings) as they would have to much drag with their entire body in the water. Boats are efficient because most of their bodies are out of the water.

But once they clear the danger zones it would be easy enough for ocean freighters to come pick them up and drop them to allow them to seek safer ports of entry and not get the ocean liners busted.

 

[Arkain2K]

I mean, people have crossed the Atlantic in smaller vessels, but 20m is a tiny boat for an extended trip (especially if you are submerged), and that is a 3 to 4 week trip most of the time.

I wouldn't be shocked to find out they were dropped off somewhere in international waters to make the last leg of the trip in.

That's very possible. And a quick analysis on the anti-corrosion sacrificial anodes on the sub's hull can reveal how long it has been in water.

Would be very interesting if they ever catch a "mothership" with a bunch of these 20-meter narco subs on board, masquerading as lifeboats under canvas coverings.

 

[Mendacious]

Wow, they build them well enough to cross the Atlantic now

First transatlantic 'narco sub' carrying 'tonnes of cocaine' captured off Spanish coast

​

A submarine believed to be carrying around 3.5 tonnes of cocaine has been towed into port after being intercepted off the Spanish coast.

It sank as police tried to intercept it in the Aldan inlet in the Galicia region at the weekend. It's believed the crew tried to sink it on purpose.

Two Ecuadorian nationals have been arrested but another person managed to escape.

Authorities could not confirm the origin of the sub or the intended recipient, but media reports said police suspect it is from Colombia.

The 20-metre (65ft) sub was towed into port at Aldan - in the northeast of the country - and refloated with the help of divers and balloons.

Police divers pulled out one package of cocaine on Monday but there are believed to be tonnes on board.

Spanish authorities said it was the first time they have found a submarine being used to smuggle drugs into the country.

They had been monitoring its movements in recent days in collaboration with international police.

In September, a sub with five tonnes of cocaine worth about £133m was captured by the Florida coastguard in the eastern Pacific.

https://news.sky.com/story/first-tr...f-cocaine-captured-off-spanish-coast-11871309

Never underestimate the profit motive...

 

[Thrawn33]

That's very possible. And a quick analysis on the anti-corrosion sacrificial anodes on the sub's hull can reveal how long it has been in water.

If they're even installed...not like these narco subs are built to ABS standards....

 

[flashNsmash]

Sending special ops to Columbia to off any cartels members would be even more momentous.

 

[flashNsmash]

totally forgot that tuco played ding

 

[Thrawn33]

totally forgot that tuco played ding

Me too.

 

[Arkain2K]

 

[Arkain2K]

Colombian Navy intercepts ‘largest ever’ narco-submarine in history with three tonnes of cocaine
By: C KrishnasaiUpdated: May 14, 2023



Colombian Navy has seized what is claimed to be the largest narco-submarine ever found in the country.

The "narco sub", which is some 30 metres (100 feet) long and three metres wide, was intercepted in the Pacific Ocean while on its way to Central America on Friday.

These homemade narco-submarines travel just below the water’s surface, allowing them to cover long distances while evading detection.

Colombian laws penalise use, construction, commercialisation, possession, and transportation of these semi-submersibles, with up to 14 years in prison.

The vessel was carrying a staggering three tonnes of cocaine, which will fetch around $103 million in the market, the navy said, according to reports.

The Central America sea route is commonly used by peddlers for drug smuggling into the United States—the world’s largest consumer of Colombian cocaine.

The navy also detained three crew members—aged 45, 54 and 63—who are all Colombians. They claimed that they were "forced by a drug trafficking organisation" to take the sub to Central America, the navy said in a statement.

The images released by authorities showed that the dark-coloured submarine was carrying numerous packages of narcotics cleverly camouflaged with Toyota labels.

Local media reports stated that Friday’s seizure was one the biggest in the country since Colombia began keeping track in 1993.

Over the past three decades, the Colombian Navy has intercepted a total of 228 similar vessels used to transport large quantities of drugs from the Pacific Ocean to the United States or even across the Atlantic to Europe.

The three suspects were later transported to Tumaco in southern Colombia to face legal proceedings.

Though the enforcement authorities have been able to successfully crack down on drug mafia, the trade still runs uninterrupted in Colombia, with record levels of cocaine production reported.

In 2021, around 204,000 hectares of coca crops were cultivated, resulting in the production of approximately 1,400 tons of cocaine hydrochloride, according to the United Nations.

The fight against drug trafficking remains an ongoing struggle, with profound impacts on the country and the international community.

https://www.wionews.com/world/colom...n-history-with-three-tonnes-of-cocaine-592332

 

[Arkain2K]

Largest-ever Colombian "narco sub" intercepted in the Pacific Ocean
May 15, 2023



The largest Colombian "narco sub" ever recorded — some 100 feet long and 10 feet wide — has been intercepted and decommissioned in the Pacific, with 3 tons of cocaine found on board, the country's navy reported Friday.

The semi-submersible vessel was stopped Tuesday on its way to Central America, one of the most common routes for drug smuggling to the United States, the world's largest consumer of Colombian cocaine.

The navy posted video of officers boarding the vessel and unloading packages.



The detained crew — ages 45, 54 and 63 — are all Colombians and claimed to have been "forced by a drug trafficking organization" to take the sub to Central America, the navy said in a statement.

In three decades, the Colombian navy has seized 228 such drug-laden semi-submersibles, which are never fully underwater but used by traffickers to elude detection by coast guard and other authorities. Some were bound for the United States, while others were intercepted in the Atlantic, headed for Europe.

Officials said Friday that this was the fourth such vessel interercepted this year.

In March, officials seized a narco sub carrying two dead bodies and a huge haul of drugs in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Colombia. About a week later, a semi-submersible vessel carrying nearly 1,000 packages of cocaine was intercepted in the same region.

This latest vessel was the largest Colombian narco sub decommissioned since records began in 1993. The seizure represented a blow of some $103 million to the drug trade, the navy said.

In Colombia, the world's largest cocaine producer, laws punish the use, construction, marketing, possession or transportation of a semi-submersible by up to 14 years in prison.

In 2021, cultivation of the coca plant, from which cocaine is extracted, stretched over 204,000 hectares (505,000 acres), according to the United Nations. This was the highest figure since monitoring began 21 years earlier, and was accompanied by a rise in cocaine production from 1,010 tons in 2020 to 1,400 tons.

Last week's seizure comes about a week after a Colombian man dubbed the "Prince of Semi-Submersibles" was sentenced to over 20 years in U.S. federal prison for smuggling nearly 30,000 pounds of cocaine into the United States. Oscar Adriano Quintero Rengifo, 35, allegedly operated a fleet of narco subs to transport drugs from South America to Central America that were ultimately destined for the United States.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/narco-sub-record-size-intercepted-colombia-pacific-ocean/

 

[Saye_mc]

If it were me there'd be 14,000 pounds recoverd and I'd immediately retire lol

 

[Arkain2K]

"Prince of Semi-Submersibles" gets 20 years in U.S. prison for operating fleet of cocaine-laden narco subs
By Stephen Smith| May 9, 2023

A Colombian man dubbed the "Prince of Semi-Submersibles" has been sentenced to over 20 years in federal prison for smuggling nearly 30,000 pounds of cocaine into the U.S., prosecutors said on Monday. Oscar Adriano Quintero Rengifo, 35, is accused of operating a fleet of so-called "narco subs" to transport drugs from South America to Central America that were ultimately destined for the United States.

Quintero Rengifo — who also goes by the name Gautala — was arrested in Colombia on January 29, 2021, and extradited to the United States one year later, the U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Florida, said in a statement. He pleaded guilty on May 20, 2022.

U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell sentenced Quintero Rengifo to 20 years and 10 months in federal prison. According to the plea agreement, Quintero Rengifo was part of a transnational criminal organization that "primarily sent vessels such as self-propelled semi-submersible vessels to Guatemala, where the cocaine was then smuggled over the Guatemala/Mexican border and then into the United States."

A former mayor in Guatemala, who controlled drug routes in the northern part of the country, oversaw the smuggling of cocaine to Mexican cartel members, prosecutors said. Quintero Rengifo rose through the ranks of the group, from organizing operations to ultimately investing in shipments and finding investors, prosecutors said. He earned the moniker "Prince of Semi-Submersibles" in the Colombian media.

From 2015 through 2019, the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted at least four ships, including two "narco subs," directly linked to Quintero Rengifo organization, involving more than 13,000 kilograms of cocaine, prosecutors allege.

"Narco subs" are commonly used by traffickers in Central and South America to transport drugs. The vessels move very low in the water to escape detection but rarely are able to fully submerge.

In March, officials seized a "narco sub" carrying two dead bodies and a huge haul of drugs in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Colombia. About a week later, a semi-submersible vessel carrying nearly 1,000 packages of cocaine was intercepted in the same region.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/prince...-years-us-prison-narco-subs-cocaine-colombia/

 

[idrankyourbeer]

If it were me there'd be 14,000 pounds recoverd and I'd immediately retire lol

not me. i'd be the fbi security guy in charge of the evidence room.

 

[rearnakedchoke]

Breakage

 

[aries]

They have so much money it's just inevitable. I know Escobar at his peak was $22 billion a year.
I digress but $500 billion last year in income for the Mexican cartels. That's more than the entire GDP of either Austria, Thailand, Norway or Belgium..... Poland just beats them at $526 billion.

I'm surprised they don't have some nuclear subs to be honest. I know that a Colombian cartel tried to purchase a surplus Russian navy submarine from a dodgy Russian admiral but that got busted.