The Colombian Navy announced it intercepted six “narco subs” containing more than $8 billion worth of drugs in an international mission involving 62 nations, of which the United States was included, that was conducted over a six-week span.
The semi-submersible vessels known as “narco subs” contained at least 225 metric tons of cocaine and 128 tons of marijuana as they headed from South America to Australia.
Five tons of cocaine were found aboard a “narco sub” headed from Colombia to Australia. The vessel, captured off Clipperton Island, was found to have enough fuel to make the 10,000-mile journey, making this the third intercepted vessel along the route.
Authorities believe this is a new route that smugglers have established in the Pacific Ocean.
“The first was discovered in Colombian waters, and thanks to the maps it carried, we identified the route,” Vice Adm. Orlando Enrique Grisales of the Colombian Navy said at a news conference. “That’s when we began working with Australian authorities.”
“This is perhaps the largest seizure of cocaine in transit made by Colombia in history. 14 tons of cocaine! Congratulations to the Navy,” Colombian President Gustavo Petro said on X.
Operation “Orion” led to more than 1,400 metric tons of drugs being seized and more than 400 people being arrested around the globe.
The vice admiral announced on Wednesday that the Orion operation was conducted between Oct. 1 and Nov. 14.
Australia is one the world’s largest consumers of cocaine and has become an extremely lucrative market for drug traffickers.
A kilogram of cocaine can fetch up to $240,000 in Australia, roughly six times the price in the U.S., Colombian authorities said.
