Cartels Plan to Deploy Exploding Drone Submarines for Cocaine Smuggling to Europe
Intelligence reports suggest sophisticated, remotely detonated underwater craft could reach European shores as early as 2023.
Drug cartels are reportedly developing a new method for smuggling cocaine into Europe: fleets of booby-trapped drone submarines designed to explode if authorities attempt to intercept them. An intelligence report from the Colombian navy indicates these unmanned vessels could be operational as early as 2035, though some experts suggest a timeline as short as two years.
These sophisticated drone submarines are envisioned to navigate the Atlantic remotely, potentially using GPS or even Elon Musk's Starlink system. Upon reaching the coast of Spain, speedboats would collect the illicit cargo for overland distribution, including to the UK. The explosives would serve as a deterrent to law enforcement and a means to destroy evidence.
South American gangs have a history of using semi-submersibles, known as 'narco-subs,' constructed in clandestine jungle shipyards. These vessels have evolved significantly over two decades. Early models were crude, manned crafts, but contemporary designs are increasingly sophisticated, benefiting from the expertise of former military personnel with advanced technical skills and seamanship.
In July of last year, Colombian police discovered a prototype narco-sub equipped with GPS, two Starlink antennas, and two CCTV cameras. Located off the coast of Santa Marta, this vessel was estimated to be capable of carrying 1.5 tons of cocaine and traveling 800 nautical miles without refueling.
The first submarine linked to drug smuggling in Europe was found off the coast of Spain in 2006. More recently, in 2019, a 65-foot vessel believed to have sailed from Colombia was intercepted off Galicia with three men aboard, covering an estimated journey of 4,778 nautical miles.
Unmanned underwater drones are also a concern. In 2020, Spanish police seized three underwater drones designed to smuggle drugs from Morocco across the Strait of Gibraltar. These drones, equipped with GPS, could be operated via the internet and were capable of carrying up to 200kg of cargo.
Manned narco-subs have also presented challenges. In 2024, four Colombian men were rescued from their sinking submersible after deliberately sinking it upon sighting Spanish customs officers and police in the Atlantic. They were later arrested.
Narco-subs are typically built in cartel-controlled territories. While authorities estimate that around 30 manned subs may have successfully evaded detection, at least three have been caught near Spain. Galicia's coastline is considered an ideal hub for drug trafficking due to its numerous hidden coves.
Such vessels have also been intercepted in the Caribbean. In 2024, Royal Marine commandos, supported by the U.S. Coast Guard, boarded a narco-sub approximately 190 nautical miles south of the Dominican Republic, seizing two tons of cocaine valued at £160 million and arresting two crew members. This bust was part of a series of seizures by the HMS Trent, which intercepted cocaine worth £750 million in just seven months.
Last year, concerns were raised about the potential for narco-subs operating in British waters, though the National Crime Agency at the time stated they had not observed such activity and did not consider it a significant threat.