A federal grand jury indicted six Colombian nationals for operating a narco-submarine fleet to transport 5,000 kilograms of cocaine to the U.S. The crew, all between the ages of 39 and 68, is being held in Colombia and faces life in prison if convicted. The vessels used by the crew are camouflaged and partly submerged to avoid detection and have become a significant force in the international drug trade. Authorities in Colombia arrested the crew, and they are expected to be extradited to New York City.
The crew ran their operation from Colombia’s Pacific coast and had a complex network involving financial investors, engineers, and spies disguised as fishermen to transport drugs from Colombia to Central America and Mexico controlled by the Sinaloa Cartel. The crew was caught twice in 2023 carrying large amounts of cocaine.
Narco-submarines have been used by drug traffickers since the late ’80s, allowing for stealthy transportation of drugs. Improvements in technology have enabled these vessels to carry significant amounts of drugs worth millions of dollars. U.S. officials have been successful in intercepting narco-submarine trafficking, with recent cases resulting in arrests and convictions of individuals involved in the operation.
American authorities have also targeted the receivers of the vessels, with individuals like Eliezer De Leon-Lopez facing life in prison for receiving shipments of cocaine transported on narco-submarines. The collaboration between U.S. and international agencies has led to significant seizures and disruptions in narco-submarine trafficking networks.
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