Submarines: Trans-Atlantic Narco-Subs
20th March 2020
The long-anticipated appearance of South American “narco-subs” (drug smuggling submersible vessels) in Europe has finally been confirmed with the seizure of one off the Spanish coast in November 2019. This boat was having engine and ventilation problems made worse by rough seas. The three man crew was discovered by police as they were abandoning the sinking boat close to shore. Two of crew, both from Ecuador, were arrested while the third man got away but was captured a few days later and found to be Spanish, and the pilot of the sub. The sub was soon brought to the surface and taken to a port. The 21 meter (67 foot) submersible was carrying three tons of cocaine and had apparently made several voyages so far. This one had travelled farther than usual, to northwest Spain, near the border between Portugal and Galicia (Spain) to avoid more intense offshore patrols off the southwest Spanish coast. The use of these submersibles off the Spanish coast had been rumored since 2016. It was also known that some only went as far as Cape Verde Islands (570 kilometers off the northwest coast of Africa), the Canary Islands further north (100 kilometers off the Moroccan coast) or much farther north to the Azores (1,500 kilometers west of Portugal). Once near these island the subs offload their cargo to fishing or speedboats, take on fuel and return to their South American base to pick up another load. As the use of submersibles and subs in South America became more common it was suggested that these difficult to detect boats be used to move the cocaine to Spain.