Latest news with #ColombianNavy
Sunday World
04-07-2025
- Sunday World
Colombian Navy seizes unmanned ‘narco sub' equipped with Starlink antenna
Officials say that while there were no drugs on board, the vessel was designed to carry up to 1.5 tons of cocaine and travel a distance of about 1,200km The Colombian Navy has announced the first ever seizure of an unmanned "narco sub" equipped with a Starlink antenna off the Caribbean coast. The empty semisubmersible was not carrying drugs, but the Colombian navy and Western security sources believe it was a trial run by a cocaine trafficking cartel. "It was being tested and was empty," a naval spokeswoman confirmed to AFP. Officials say that while there were no drugs on board, the vessel was designed to carry up to 1.5 tons of cocaine and travel a distance of about 1,200km. While manned semisubmersibles built in secret jungle shipyards have been used for decades to ferry cocaine from Colombia, the world's biggest cocaine producer, to Central America or Mexico, this marks the first known discovery of an autonomous narco-submarine in South American waters. The narco-sub surrounded by navy vessels Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 4th The Colombian navy said the drone semisubmersible was owned by the Gulf Clan, the country's largest drug trafficking group and one of several cartels recently designated as foreign terrorist groups by the United States. According to the US State Department, the group's "primary source of income is from cocaine trafficking, which it uses to fund its paramilitary activities'. The submarine had two antennas including one protected with fiberglass that was connected to a Starlink satellite modem for communication. It was also equipped with two surveillance cameras, one for navigating the vessel and the other for monitoring its engine. Naval officials said the unmanned semi-submersible that was built in Colombia travels close to the water's surface, making it hard to detect, with only the air inlets and antenna visible above the waterline. Admiral Juan Ricardo Rozo, Chief of the Colombian Navy, told a press conference that traffickers are moving toward more advanced and unmanned smuggling systems. He added that the use of such technology shows a shift in drug trafficking strategies toward more innovative and adaptive methods. However, this is not the first time a Starlink antenna has been used at sea by suspected drug traffickers. In November, Indian police seized a giant consignment of meth worth $4.25 billion in a vessel steered remotely by Starlink near the remote Andaman and Nicobar islands. Juana Cabezas, a researcher at Colombia's Institute for Development and Peace Studies, told AFP that powerful Mexican drug cartels, who operate in Colombia, "hired technology experts and engineers to develop an unmanned submarine" as far back as 2017. "Removing the crew eliminates the risk of captured operators cooperating with authorities," Henry Shuldiner, an investigator for the US-based InSight Crime think tank, stated. Shuldiner also highlighted the challenge of assembling crews to sail makeshift subs described as floating "coffins." In 2023, a "narco sub" with two dead bodies and nearly three tons of cocaine aboard was seized off the coast of Colombia. A near record number of the low-profile vessels were intercepted in the Atlantic and Pacific in 2024, according to the report. Other unmanned vessels have also been detected in the Mediterranean, often used for short coastal trips between countries like Albania, Italy, Morocco, and Spain. In another case in November 2024, a semi-submersible loaded with five tons of Colombian cocaine was seized en route to Australia. Colombian law punishes the use, construction, marketing, possession and transportation of semisubmersibles with penalties of up to 14 years in prison. Though commonly spotted off the coast of Colombia, narco subs have been intercepted across the globe in recent months. Just last week, the Mexican navy seized 3.5 tons of cocaine hidden in a semisubmersible vessel off the Pacific coast, while releasing video of the "narco sub" being intercepted. In March, Portuguese police said forces had confiscated nearly 6.5 tons of cocaine from a semisubmersible vessel off the remote Azores archipelago that was bound for the Iberian peninsula. In January, a suspected narco sub broke in two pieces as a fishing boat was towing it to a port in northwest Spain. According to the UN drug agency, cocaine production, seizures, and use all hit record highs in 2023. Colombia, the world's largest cocaine producer, has seen a sharp rise in production due to increased global demand. Colombian law punishes the use, construction, marketing, possession, and transport of semi-submersibles with sentences of up to 14 years in prison.
CBS News
03-07-2025
- CBS News
Drone "narco sub" — equipped with Starlink antenna — seized for the first time in the Caribbean
Combating narco-subs and narco-terrorism in the U.S. and abroad The Colombian navy on Wednesday announced its first seizure of an unmanned "narco sub" equipped with a Starlink antenna off its Caribbean coast. The semisubmersible vessel was not carrying drugs, but the Colombian navy and Western security sources based in the region told AFP they believed it was a trial run by a cocaine trafficking cartel. "It was being tested and was empty," a naval spokeswoman confirmed to AFP. Manned semi-submersibles built in clandestine jungle shipyards have been used for decades to ferry cocaine north from Colombia, the world's biggest cocaine producer, to Central America or Mexico. But in recent years, they have been sailing much further afield, crossing the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The latest find, announced by Admiral Juan Ricardo Rozo at a press conference, is the first reported discovery in South American waters of a drone narco sub. The navy said it was owned by the Gulf Clan, Colombia's largest drug trafficking group and had the capacity to transport 1.5 tons of cocaine. A low-profile unmanned semi-submersible vessel sits between two Colombian Navy boats off the coast of Tayrona Park near Santa Marta, Colombia, on July 2, 2025. Colombian Navy Press Office / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images The Gulf Clan is one of several cartels recently designated as foreign terrorist groups by the United group's "primary source of income is from cocaine trafficking, which it uses to fund its paramilitary activities," according to the U.S. State Department. A video released by the navy showed a small grey vessel with a satellite antenna on the bow. This is not the first time a Starlink antenna has been used at sea by suspected drug traffickers. In November, Indian police seized a giant consignment of meth worth $4.25 billion in a vessel steered remotely by Starlink near the remote Andaman and Nicobar islands. It was the first known discovery of a narco sub operated by Starlink. Floating "coffins" Cocaine production, seizures and use all hit record highs in 2023, the U.N. drug agency said last month. In Colombia, production has reached record levels, fuelled by surging global demand. Rozo said the use of autonomous subs reflected the traffickers "migration toward more sophisticated unmanned systems" which are hard to detect at sea, "difficult to track by radar and even allow criminal networks to operate with partial autonomy." Juana Cabezas, a researcher at Colombia's Institute for Development and Peace Studies, told AFP that powerful Mexican drug cartels, who operate in Colombia, "hired technology experts and engineers to develop an unmanned submarine" as far back as 2017. She pointed out that drone vessels made it harder for the authorities to pinpoint the drug lords behind the shipments. "Removing the crew eliminates the risk of captured operators cooperating with authorities," agreed Henry Shuldiner, an investigator for the U.S.-based InSight Crime think tank, who co-authored a report on the rise of narco subs. Shuldiner also highlighted the challenge of assembling crews to sail makeshift subs described as floating "coffins." The journey can be deadly: In 2023, a "narco sub" with two dead bodies and nearly three tons of cocaine aboard was seized off the coast of Colombia. A submarine with two dead bodies and nearly three tons of cocaine aboard was seized in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Colombia, officials said. Colombia Navy A near record number of the low-profile vessels were intercepted in the Atlantic and Pacific in 2024, according to the report. In November last year, five tons of Colombian cocaine were found on a semi-submersible en route to faraway Australia. Colombian law punishes the use, construction, marketing, possession, and transportation of semi-submersibles with penalties of up to 14 years in prison. Though commonly spotted off the coast of Colombia, narco subs have been intercepted across the globe in recent months. Just last week, the Mexican navy seized 3.5 tons of cocaine hidden in a semisubmersible vessel off the Pacific coast, while releasing video of the "narco sub" being intercepted. In March, Portuguese police said forces had confiscated nearly 6.5 tons of cocaine from a semi-submersible vessel off the remote Azores archipelago that was bound for the Iberian peninsula. In January, a suspected narco sub broke in two pieces as a fishing boat was towing it to a port in northwest Spain.
South China Morning Post
03-07-2025
- South China Morning Post
Colombia seizes first unmanned narco-sub equipped with Starlink
The Colombian navy on Wednesday announced its first seizure of an unmanned narco-submarine equipped with a Starlink antenna off its Caribbean coast. Advertisement The vessel was not carrying drugs, but the Colombian navy and Western security sources based in the region said they believed it was a trial run by a cocaine trafficking cartel. 'It was being tested and was empty,' a naval spokeswoman said. Manned semi-submersibles built in clandestine jungle shipyards have been used for decades to ferry cocaine north from Colombia, the world's biggest cocaine producer, to Central America or Mexico. But in recent years, they have been sailing much further afield, crossing the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Advertisement The latest find, announced by Admiral Juan Ricardo Rozo at a press conference, is the first reported discovery in South American waters of a drone narco-submarine.
NZ Herald
03-07-2025
- NZ Herald
Colombian Navy finds unmanned narco-sub with Starlink tech - the first such seizure in South American waters
The Colombian Navy has announced its first seizure of an unmanned narco-submarine equipped with a Starlink antenna off its Caribbean coast. The vessel was not carrying drugs, but the Colombian Navy and Western security sources based in the region told AFP they believed it was a trial run by
West Australian
12-06-2025
- General
- West Australian
San Jose galleon: Treasure hunters confirm Columbia location of fabled wreck with $30 billion cargo
Treasure hunters, historians and storytellers around the world are salivating, following the news that the location of a sunken wreck holding one of the greatest gold and jewel deposits in history has finally been confirmed. The legend of the Spanish galleon San Jose has been mentioned throughout history as countless groups of fortune hunters tried to locate the ship and its reported $30 billion golden cargo. Researchers using cutting-edge technology to comb the ocean floor in waters near Colombia have announced that they are confident they have confirmed the ship's location nearly 300 years after it sank during a fierce battle with the UK Royal Navy. Imagery obtained during the search for the 'Holy Grail' of treasure, identified coins and artifacts consistent with the cargo reportedly on board the San Jose before it met its fate at the bottom of the Caribbean sea. A recent study published in the Antiquity Journal announced that the wreck is situated at a depth of 600m on the ocean floor off Colombia. Since 2021, the Colombian Navy has been using a Lynx Saab Seaeye Remotely Operated Vehicle to locate the remains under conditions of low visibility and minimal light. The investigations have provided the strongest evidence yet that the wreckage discovered in 2015 is indeed the fabled vessel. Gold, silver and emeralds from Spain's South American colonies have been identified through high-resolution images captured while examining the wreck at the perilous depth. 'Hand-struck, irregularly shaped coins served as the primary currency in the Americas for more than two centuries,' archaeologist Daniela Vargas Ariza, of Colombia's Naval Cadet School and the National Institute of Anthropology and History told GBN . 'The finding of cobs created in 1707 at the Lima Mint points to a vessel navigating the Tierra Firme route in the early 18th century. The San Jose galleon is the only ship that matches these characteristics.' Countries in the region have been trying to lay claim to the treasure-laden wreck for years with Colombia, Spain and Peru all arguing the fortune should fall into their hands once it is raised. A treasure hunting firm from the US, Sea Search Armada, is demanding $13 billion, claiming it discovered the wreck in 1981 after stating the wreck lay within a few kilometres of the 2015 site. The company is contesting a 2020 Colombian law declaring everything aboard the galleon belongs to the Colombian government. Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced in 2023 that the wreck would be raised before his term ends in 2026.
