The Colombian navy said Tuesday it has found an unmanned semi-submersible submarine used for drug trafficking adrift in the Pacific Ocean.
The submarine was found by a navy patrol 60 nautical miles from the mouth of the Naya river, which enters the Pacific from Colombia’s South coast, without crew or drugs.
Authorities have theorized that had events gone to plan, drug traffickers would have rendezvoused with the submarine, loaded a drugs shipment, and dropped off a crew to pilot the transporter to Central America.
The submarine “could reach the Mexican coast without refueling, and has a fuel capacity of around eight days,” according to Navy Commander Carlos Delgado.
Delgado said the submarine 18 meters long and 3 meters wide, is equipped with two diesel engines and has the capacity to carry three to four people and up to five tons of illicit substances.
It is the first semi-submersible submarine to be seized by authorities in 2013, following the eight that were confiscated in 2012.