Portuguese police and the Portuguese navy seized a narco‑submarine carrying almost two metric tons of cocaine about 1,000 nautical miles (1,852 km) from Lisbon, Portugal. The submarine was heading toward the Iberian Peninsula.
The four individuals inside the sub—two Ecuadorians, one Colombian, and one Venezuelan—are currently detained after a court appearance on November 4.
The operation, which was a joint effort by the UK, France, the US, and Portugal, was kick-started following intel received by the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre (MAOC).
Due to the fragile structure of the submarine and weather conditions, the narco‑submarine could not be towed to shore and was allowed to sink.
In 2024, record numbers of these stealthy, self-made subs were being caught in both the Atlantic and Pacific, reaching further than previously thought possible. Long used to ferry cocaine from Colombia to Central America, these narco-subs are now faster, smarter, and are a growing force in the global drug trade.
Click through the following gallery to step inside the covert underwater network fueling a multibillion-dollar empire.