U.S. anti drug agents and the Guatemalan Army intercepted three Colombians and a Mexican in a small submarine carrying ten tons of cocaine off the Central American Pacific coast on Wednesday.
The Guatemalan Interior Minister confirmed that the flagless submarine was captured in Guatemalan waters and official estimates claim it to be carrying some ten tons of cocaine, though the true amount could not be determined until the vessel had been towed back to land.
According to the Minister, the submarine was detected by ships of the Pacific Naval Base and the four people arrested have yet to be identified, claimed a report by newspaper El Espectador on Thursday.
An army spokesman stated that the intervention was part of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and if the cargo reaches its prediction of 10,000 kilograms, it will be the largest single drug seizure that Guatemala has achieved.
Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom declared on Monday that he hoped 2009 will be a record year for drug confiscation in the country and it will surpass 2003’s record when authorities seized eight tons in a single operation.