Interdicting a Cocaine Submarine Near Honduras

15 Second Interdiction Video Clip of Honduras-Bound Drug-Submarine:

On July 13, a combined effort between the Honduran Navy, U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), DEA, and SOUTHCOM led to the successful interception of a self propelled semi-submersible (SPSS) smuggling vessel in international waters approximately 15 miles off the coast of Gracias a Dios Department in eastern Honduras. The vessel was scuttled (i.e. sunk) by its five-man crew, four Colombian nationals and one Honduran, who were subsequently taken into custody by the USCG along with several bales of cocaine. FBI divers were later able to salvage all of the remaining cocaine from the SPSS bringing the total seizure to 5,926 kilograms, making it largest ever successful interdiction in Honduras.

On September 17, USCG with help from the Honduran Navy, interdicted a second SPSS 64nm north of Gracias A Dios. That SPSS was also scuttled by the crew in 3,000 feet of water. USCG recovered all four crew members and two packages containing 25 kilos of cocaine, part of a load estimated at 6,000 kilos that went down with the vessel.

These two interdictions brought the total maritime cocaine seizures off the coast of Honduras for 2011 to over 21 metric tons, quadruple the amount seized in 2010

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• semi-submersible
• drug sub
• drugs
• narcotics
• cocaine
• honduras
• crime
• central america
• coast guard
• DEA