Latest news with #JuanRicardoRozo
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.
Kuwait Times
03-07-2025
- Kuwait Times
Starlink-equipped drone narco-sub seized in Colombia
BOGOTÁ, Colombia: The Colombian navy on Wednesday 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 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-submarine. 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 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-submarine operated by Starlink. Cocaine production, seizures and use all hit record highs in 2023, the UN 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 US-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.' 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. — AFP
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Yahoo
Drone "narco sub" — equipped with Starlink antenna — seized for first time
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. In May 2024, Italian police announced the seizure of a small remote-controlled sub likely intended to transport drugs as part of an international drug trafficking network. The Colombian navy said the drone semisubmersible was owned by the Gulf Clan, Colombia's largest drug trafficking group and had the capacity to transport 1.5 tons of cocaine. 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 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. White House reacts to June jobs report that beat expectations How can you lower your bills and save? Try these mid-year money moves for your finances. How federal budget cuts could be impacting NPS shortages
LeMonde
03-07-2025
- Business
- LeMonde
Unmanned narco-submarine equipped with Starlink seized in Colombia
The Colombian navy on Wednesday, July 2, 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 Agence France-Presse (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-submarine. The navy said it was owned by the Gulf Clan, Colombia's largest drug trafficking group and had the capacity to transport 1.5 tonnes of cocaine. 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-submarine operated by Starlink. 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." 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 tonnes of Colombian cocaine were found on a semi-submersible en route to faraway Australia. Cocaine production, seizures and use all hit record highs in 2023, the UN drug agency said last month. In Colombia, production has reached record levels, fueled by surging global demand. Colombian law punishes the use, construction, marketing, possession, and transportation of semi-submersibles with penalties of up to 14 years in prison.
France 24
02-07-2025
- France 24
Colombia seizes first unmanned narco-submarine with Starlink antenna
The Colombian navy on Wednesday 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 of an unmanned vessel by a cocaine trafficking cartel. "It was being tested and was empty," a naval spokeswoman confirmed to AFP. Asked if it was operated by Starlink, the spokeswoman confirmed that the vessel "had that technology" but said the navy "was still studying how exactly it operated." The discovery announced by Navy commander Admiral Juan Ricardo Rozo at a press conference is one of the first reported finds in South American waters of a drone narco submarine. It comes as cartels step up their use of hard-to-detect submarines, usually with a crew aboard, to smuggle cocaine across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Manned semi-submersibles have been used for decades to ferry cocaine north from Colombia's Pacific coast to Central America or Mexico. But in recent years, they have been sailing much further afield. In November last year, five tons of Colombian cocaine were found on a semi-submersible seized en route to Australia.
