Colombia Navy Seizes $60 Million Worth of Cocaine Found Inside a Semi-Submersible Vessel
A seized narco-submarine is downloaded from a Colombian Navy ship in Buenaventura, Valle del Cauca department, Colombia, on March 21, 2021. - The submarine, which contained several packages of cocaine, was destined for the coasts of Mexico and belonged to a dissident armed group of the FARC guerrilla, according to authorities. Drug trafficking gangs, which succeeded paramilitaries and guerrillas in the area, have extended their domains to the mangroves surrounding Buenaventura, turning it into a "water-graveyard". LUIS ROBAYO/AFP via Getty Images

Colombia's Navy announced Wednesday that one of their operations resulted in the seizure of 1.8 tonnes of cocaine being transported onboard a semi-submersible vessel in the south Pacific.

According to GCaptain, the Navy said the drug operation prevented the trafficking and consumption of over 44.5 million doses of cocaine in neighboring countries.

The drugs, distributed by the "Bloque Occidental Alfonso Cano" of the militant group Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), were valued at around $60 million.

Colombia's Navy Seizes Packages of Cocaine

The drug seizure was led by the marines in Colombia and was carried out with intelligence coming from the Navy. Based on the report of Colombia's Navy, the semi-submersible type naval device was intercepted when the suspects tried to remove it through an area of estuary in the north of the department of Nariño.

After noticing the presence of authorities, the Navy said the drug traffickers threw themselves into the water and fled through an area of estuaries, abandoning a speedboat in that way.

Individuals, who were manning the low-profile boat, jumped into the water as soon as they noticed the authorities and fled into a mangrove area.

Colombian Rear-Admiral Orlando Cubillos Chacon, commander of the Poseidon task force against drug trafficking, said the drug traffickers abandoned the semi-submersible loaded with the cocaine and the speedboat that appeared to be escorting them.

After the inspection conducted by Colombia's Navy in the 17-meter-long naval vessel, authorities found 90 sacks containing several rectangular packages.

The said packages were then transferred to the Tumaco Coast Guard Station dock, where the Technical Investigation Corps of the Prosecutor's Office carried out the approved preliminary identification test of the items inside the packages.

After the test came out, it was positively identified as cocaine. Last month, the Colombian navy intercepted more than $200 million worth of merchandise that also belong to the "Bloque Occidental Alfonso Cano."

More than 5.8 tons of narcotics, three speedboats, and three semi-submersible naval devices have been confiscated in that operation. Colombian authorities also destroyed laboratories used by the drug syndicate in producing the cocaine.

Another Semi-submersible Vessel With Tons of Cocaine Seized in Colombia

Colombia's Navy has also intercepted a semi-submersible vessel off the Pacific Coast last month and seized two tons of cocaine during the drug bust.

Colombian authorities found 102 sacks with 2,039 packages of cocaine inside the 15-meter vessel off the coast of southwest Colombia. The vessel was reportedly heading towards Central America.

Individuals onboard the craft were seen in footage lining up against a wall. Officials said that two Colombian nationals and a foreigner had been arrested. By capturing smugglers off Colombia's waters, it reduces the flow of drug-laden vessels heading to nearby countries such as the U.S.

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Written by: Jess Smith

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