A semi-submersible vessel carrying more than 7,000 pounds of suspected cocaine was intercepted in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico, the country’s navy captured on video in a dramatic seizure on Thursday. The so-called “narco submarine” was about 85 feet long and believed to be the largest of its kind seized by the current government, officials said in a news release.
Five people of different nationalities traveling on the ship were arrested on Tuesday and taken to the coastal city of La Paz, officials said.
According to authorities, Navy vessels and helicopters pursued the semi-submersible until officers were finally able to board the vessel, where they found about 186 packages of suspected cocaine.
Video posted to Facebook by the Mexican Navy shows an aerial view of the semi-submersible being pursued by ships and a helicopter before eventually being intercepted.
“The success of the mission was achieved thanks to the training of Navy personnel, as the elements boarded the illegal ship on the move in conditions of strong winds and waves on the high seas,” the Navy said.
Officials said the Navy had seized about 47,000 pounds of cocaine and arrested 121 people “at sea engaged in illegal activities” in Mexican waters so far this year.
Semi-submersibles are widely used by drug traffickers in Central and South America to transport drugs. The ships move low in the water to avoid detection and can rarely fully submerge.
They are particularly common off the coast of Colombia. Last month, the Colombian Navy intercepted one such ship with more than 5,000 pounds of cocaine as the crew tried unsuccessfully to sink the drug shipment. Also in May, the largest so-called “narco submarine” ever registered in Colombia was intercepted with 3 tons of cocaine on board.
In March, officers off the coast of Colombia seized a semi-submersible containing two bodies and a huge load of drugs.
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