Narco Submarine: Coast Guard Stop Smugglers In Pacific
11th September 2020
Like almost all narco submarines this vessel was not actually a true submarine. Instead it is more of a ‘semi-submersible’ or what is called a low profile vessel (LPV). This means that it runs as low in the water as possible which makes it very hard to detect. Just how low can be seen in the Coast Guard video, note how the waves wash over the front of the boat.
These vessels are most active in the Eastern Pacific, coming up from Colombia. This is why San Diego based Coast Guard cutters seem to get the lion’s share of them. They are built in secret ‘artisan’ boat yards hidden in the myriad of jungle estuaries which lead to the sea. Narco submarines can also be found in the Caribbean and, increasingly, in the Atlantic.