A homemade submarine carrying more than five tons of cocaine was intercepted in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of South America, the US Coast Guard said.<\/p>\n
The 39-foot-long (12 meter) vessel had previously been detected by maritime surveillance, according to a statement published Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The Coast Guard boarded the self-propelled submersible on September 1 in international waters with the aid of the Colombian navy, the statement added.<\/p>\n
On board, the Coast Guard discovered about 5.4 tons of cocaine, with a market value of more than $165 million.<\/p>\n
Four suspected drug smugglers were arrested during the operation.<\/p>\n
Along with planes and swift boats, South American drug cartels -- particularly from Colombia -- use somewhat rudimentary submarines to transport drugs to Mexico and on to the United States.<\/p>\n
In July, the US Coast Guard announced the seizure of 13 tons of cocaine from multiple operations throughout Latin America.<\/p>\n
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Originally posted here:<\/p>\n
High seas: US authorities seize five tons of cocaine from submarine - RTL Today<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A homemade submarine carrying more than five tons of cocaine was intercepted in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of South America, the US Coast Guard said. The 39-foot-long (12 meter) vessel had previously been detected by maritime surveillance, according to a statement published Tuesday. Continue reading