Drug traffickers are reportedly testing a new generation of unmanned "narco subs" in the Caribbean—equipped with cutting-edge satellite technology from Elon Musk's Starlink. Colombia's navy said Wednesday it has seized its first unmanned "narco sub" equipped with a Starlink satellite antenna off the country's Caribbean coast, per AFP. The semi-submersible vessel, capable of carrying 1.5 tons of cocaine but found empty, is believed by authorities to be a test run by the powerful Gulf Clan cartel, a naval spokesperson and Western security sources say, per CBS News.
This marks the first reported discovery of a drone submarine used for drug trafficking in South American waters, per CBS. Traditionally, manned semi-submersibles built in secret jungle shipyards have ferried cocaine from Colombia to Central America or Mexico, but recent years have seen these vessels venture much farther, including to Europe and Australia. The unmanned vessel suggests traffickers are shifting to more sophisticated, harder-to-detect methods.
Removing the crew not only reduces risks of capture but also makes it difficult for authorities to identify those behind the shipments. The Gulf Clan, which the US has labeled a foreign terrorist group, uses cocaine profits to fund paramilitary activities. The use of Starlink technology is not new in this context; last November, Indian police seized a large meth shipment on a remotely operated vessel using Starlink near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Meanwhile, authorities worldwide report a surge in narco sub interceptions. In recent months, subs have been seized carrying tons of cocaine off Mexico, Portugal, and Spain.
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