‘Narco-Submarine’ Carrying 4 Tons of Cocaine Captured by Mexico’s Navy
‘Narco-Submarine’ Carrying 4 Tons of Cocaine Captured by Mexico’s Navy
https://www.wired.com/story/narco-submarine-carrying-4-tons-of-cocaine-captured-by-mexicos-navy/
Publish Date: 2026-02-21 05:00:00
Source Domain: www.wired.com
The Mexican Navy announced on Thursday that it had seized a semi-submersible vessel carrying nearly four tons of cocaine. The seizure of 179 packages of the drug is the latest result in an effort to curb maritime trafficking of illicit substances across the Pacific Ocean—an issue also being addressed by the United States through a series of deadly attacks in the Caribbean against vessels suspected of carrying drugs.
Omar García Harfuch, Mexico’s secretary of security, reported in a post on X that the interception of the vessel—known as a “narco-submarine”—took place in Mexican waters near Manzanillo, in the state of Colima. Three people have been arrested over suspected ties to the shipment.
The Mexican navy (Semar) said that the operation involved an ocean patrol vessel, two fixed-wing aircraft, two rotary-wing aircraft, and two interceptor boats. It also received support from US Northern Command and the Joint Interagency Task Force, which provided intelligence to locate the target at sea.
Harfuch emphasized that this action adds to other seizures made during the past week, which have resulted in the confiscation of approximately 10 tons of cocaine. According to the secretary, “this represents a direct and multimillion-dollar blow to the financial structures of organized crime, preventing millions of doses from reaching the streets and protecting the safety of Mexican families.”
Since at least last year, Semar has been monitoring a transnational network that uses the routes known as La Gorgona and El Desierto to transport narcotics and other illicit goods from Ecuador and Colombia. The route includes strategic points such as the Galápagos Islands and Clipperton Island before reaching Mexican shores, including Punta Tejupán in Michoacán. According to an investigation published by N+ Focus, the final destination of these shipments is the US market.
Criminal organizations use speedboats, submarines, and semi-submersibles, often homemade from…
