4.5 tons of cocaine found in semi-submersible during rescue search off Colombia
Colombian authorities looking for two fishermen lost at sea ended up uncovering almost five tons of cocaine in a semi-submersible sailing on the border of Ecuador on Wednesday.
The Colombian Navy said they had been conducting a search-and-rescue operation for the two men, who were last seen on a “canoe-type boat” headed towards Tumaco, a port city in southwestern Colombia, when they intercepted the vessel.
When authorities searched the vessel, they found four people and 205 packages that tested positive for cocaine, the Colombian Navy said in a news release.
Here’s what we know.
How much cocaine was seized by the Colombian Navy?
🚨En una operación de búsqueda y rescate de dos pescadores desaparecidos, con apoyo de la @FuerzaAereaCol localizamos un semisumergible que transportaba más de 4 toneladas de clorhidrato de cocaína en frontera con Ecuador.
➡️https://t.co/2K494vv7jH#ContundenciaOperacional pic.twitter.com/6JafUg89QD— Armada de Colombia (@ArmadaColombia) February 14, 2024
The Colombian Navy said they seized around 4,071 kilograms of cocaine, which is nearly 9,000 pounds, or 4.5 tons.
The Colombian Navy did not release any additional information about the four people aboard the semi-submersible, making it unclear whether they were arrested.
“With this seizure, more than $137 million was prevented from entering drug trafficking organizations, as well as the commercialization of more than ten million doses on the streets of the world,” the Navy said in a statement.
The Navy seized the first detected cocaine batch of the year a couple weeks earlier, finding over a 1,000 pounds of cocaine in another semi-submersible.
What happens next?
#EsNoticia 🚨En desarrollo de una operación de búsqueda y rescate en aguas de Nariño, la @ArmadaColombia localizó e interceptó una semisumergible con 4 sujetos que transportaba 4️⃣0️⃣7️⃣1️⃣ kilogramos de cocaína. Esta operación contó con el apoyo de @FuerzaAereaCol y @armadaecuador. pic.twitter.com/KWuk6klxj5
— Fuerza Naval del Pacífico (@FNP_ArmadaCol) February 14, 2024
The Colombian Navy and Ecuadorian Navy said they would continue to search the area where the two fisherman were last seen, saying a search area of approximately 120 nautical miles had been established.
“The Colombian Navy will continue to carry out joint and combined operations to safeguard life at sea and counter the criminal actions of transnational criminal organizations,” the agency said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Colombian Navy searching for missing fishermen find 4.5 tons of cocaine