In a spectacular operation, carried out with the support of the British National Crime Agency and the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), four people of South American origin were arrested.
The semi-submarine was located about 1,000 nautical miles, that is, almost 1,900 kilometers from the coast of Lisbon, after the Maritime Analytical and Operations Center (MAOC) from Lisbon received a tip about the planned delivery of drugs to Europe. Footage released by authorities shows the moment Portuguese police and navy surround the vessel, seize it and arrest the crew.
Among those arrested are two citizens of Ecuador, one of Venezuela and one of Colombia, and all of them were detained after hearing before a court in the Azores. The head of Portugal’s unit for combating drug trafficking, Vítor Ananias, pointed out that the different origins of the suspects show that it is an international criminal network.
Tal como lo advertí
Ahora el cartel de los soles dirige toda su carga hacia europa
Portugal intercepta narcosubmarino con 1.7 tons de cocaína y detiene a cuatro tipulantes venezolanos
— YO SO (@ElGanadorHenry) November 4, 2025
“The conditions on those vessels are extremely difficult — from heat and fumes to stormy seas. Even one day on such a ship is exhausting,” Ananias said, adding that such cases have been repeated in recent years. Due to bad weather and fragile construction, the seized submarine could not be towed ashore and sank in the open sea.
In March of this year, Portuguese authorities intercepted a similar vessel with more than 6.5 tons of cocaine. Experts warn that the Atlantic routes have become a key route of smuggling between Latin America and Europe, while international authorities are trying to prevent increasingly sophisticated methods of transporting drugs.
(Vijesti.ba)
