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This is how 1.2 billion dollars of cocaine were transported in a narco-submarine

These semisubmersed drug mules have been crossing the Atlantic more and more and have already been detected in the Pacific - the route between Colombia and Australia

Óscar Beltrán de Otálora / Gonzalo de las Heras (graphics)

Wednesday, 23 April 2025, 15:13 | Updated 15:32h.

“We have gone from getting one alert every two months to up to five warnings per month,” explained Lieutenant Colonel Óscar Remacha, responsible for the drug trafficking unit in the Unidad Central Operativa (Central Operative Unit, a specialised division of the Civil Guard). This officer led ‘operation Nautilus’, carried out in March, which saw the capture of the highest quantity of drugs ever found on these ships: over six tonnes of Colombian cocaine. Now their focus has turned to the route filling Europe with this white powder which travels at sea level among the breaking waves, making it almost invisible to the radar. This illegal activity is now going global, with a new case found in the Pacific Ocean, moving fortunes unsuspected.

Part above the surface

Part below the surface

Part above the surface

Part below the surface

Part above the surface

Part below the surface

Part above the surface

Part below the surface

Although these ships have been labelled narco-submarines, the more appropriate term is semi-submersibles because they don’t travel under the water, but cruise invisibly along on the surface, making them almost unidentifiable for technical equipment or the human eye. The technology of these ships is becoming increasingly sophisticated. In ‘operation Nautilus’, a ship was found 600 miles from the Azores islands, in the middle of the Atlantic. “It brought to our attention that onboard, there are half a dozen GPS and other satellite-operated devices. Until now, the semi-submersibles left South America and remained on course until arriving at their delivery location. The technology they have now adopted allows them to change route and mark sites offshore so that speed boats can collect the drugs,” explained the Lieutenant Colonel. This is a defining feature of the new wave of narco-submarines: they are continually updated with more sophisticated software to support weeks of navigation through the Atlantic, without disorientation.

Some examples

Engine room

Crew: 2-4

Load

Fuel

Marine diesel engine

Capacity: 2-10 tonnes

Hull of the ship: wood, fiberglass or steel

Speed: 10-15 km/h

Outboard motors are frequently used

Most of the space below sea level is used for fuel reserves; in some cases one or more stops are necessary to refuel mid-journey.

Operation ‘Orión’

The ship intercepted in the Azores on the way to the Andalusian coast even had a handrail on the stern so that the marines could be on deck during the journey.

Camouflage colours

Blue for the hull in summer through the sunnier Pacific

Light grey for the hull in the Pacific

The Atlantic is cloudier, so the colours are greyish

The deck is painted in a darker colour than the hull

Engine room

Crew: 2-4

Load

Fuel

Marine diesel engine

Capacity: 2-10 tonnes

Hull of the ship: wood, fiberglass or steel

Speed: 10-15 km/h

Outboard motors are frequently used

Most of the space below sea level is used for fuel reserves; in some cases one or more stops are necessary to refuel mid-journey.

Operation ‘Orión’

The ship intercepted in the Azores on the way to the Andalusian coast even had a handrail on the stern so that the marines could be on deck during the journey.

Camouflage colours

Blue for the hull in summer through the sunnier Pacific

Light grey for the hull in the Pacific

The Atlantic is cloudier, so the colours are greyish

The deck is painted in a darker colour than the hull

Kink in the exhaust to stop water from coming in

Crew: 2-4

Hull of the ship: wood, fiberglass or steel

Engine room

Fuel

Load

Length: 12-24 m

Marine diesel engine

Capacity: 2-10 tonnes

Speed: 10-15 km/h

Outboard motors are frequently used

Most of the space below sea level is used for fuel reserves; in some cases one or more stops are necessary to refuel mid-journey.

Operation ‘Orión’

The ship intercepted in the Azores on the way to the Andalusian coast even had a handrail on the stern so that the marines could be on deck during the journey.

Camouflage colours

Blue for the hull in summer through the sunnier Pacific

Light grey for the hull in the Pacific

The Atlantic is cloudier, so the colours are greyish

The deck is painted in a darker colour than the hull

Kink in the exhaust to stop water from coming in

Crew: 2-4

Hull of the ship: wood, fiberglass or steel

Engine room

Fuel

Load

Length: 12-24 m

Capacity: 2-10 tonnes

Speed: 10-15 km/h

Marine diesel motor: 350-400 hp

Outboard motors, easiest to install, are used most frequently

Most of the space below sea level is used for fuel reserves; in some cases one or more stops are necessary to refuel mid-journey.

Operation ‘Orión’

The ship intercepted in the Azores on the way to the Andalusian coast even had a handrail on the stern so that the marines could be on deck during the journey.

Camouflage colours

Blue for the hull in summer through the sunnier Pacific

Light grey for the hull in the Pacific

The Atlantic is cloudier, so the colours are greyish

The deck is painted in a darker colour than the hull

One of the greatest successes of ‘operation Nautilus’ was ambushing a submarine before the traffickers had time to submerge it. The drug traffickers usually jump into the water when security boats approach and send the semi-submersible under the surface so that the drugs disappear and they can’t be accused of trafficking illegal substances. “In this case, the interception was carried out by the Portuguese navy. For operative reasons, they can’t disclose how they did it, so as to not affect future operations,” explained Remacha. The Portuguese intervention was carried out at the request of the Spanish Guardia Civil, whose investigations had led to knowledge of the submarine’s route and even evidence from satellite photography. “It was intercepted at high sea specifically so that speed boats could not come to collect the cocaine,” said the official.

Five people were travelling in the semi-submersible. Three of them were Brazilian citizens whose role was navigation. Among the other two, one was Spanish. The cargo was to be transported, with the help of secondary ships, through Guadalquivir, the route that current drug traffickers use to get to Spain. “It’s normal for submarine crews to have marines whose sole task is to navigate the semi-submersible, as well as other members who ensure the operation is under control,” said Remacha. Crew members can receive up to 30,000 euros for risking the Atlantic crossing in this type of vessel.

Among the many secrets of how these operations take place, one of them is how many narco-submarines have disappeared in the Atlantic - due to shipwreck or other accidents. “They won’t ask for help even if they have a problem. There are probably families who don’t imagine that their disappeared next of kin is at the bottom of the sea,” explained the official.

The threat that narco-submarines pose to security forces is their efficiency “and their very high success rates”. In comparison to the fishing boats that were historically used by Galicians to transport drugs: containers of narcotics camouflaged in big cargo ships or homemade torpedoes towed by legal boats - these semi-submersibles have shown that they can use the same classic routes, but with a higher probability of achieving their goals.

Semi-submersible

Handmade semi-submersible ‘Aldán’

Cross section of a narco-submarine, sunk on the Galician coast to hide from the police

3 tonnes of cargo

20,000 litres of fuel

20 m

Currently on display in the Police Academy (in Avila)

Journey conditions

Double-glazed windows

Fiberglass hull (7 cm thick)

Engine speed

Steering wheel

It was very hot inside when the engine was on. There were only a few ventilation tubes. They ate energy bars and tins of sardines. They defecated in plastic bags..

Handmade semi-submersible ‘Aldán’

Cross section of a narco-submarine, sunk on the Galician coast to hide from the police

3 tonnes of cargo

20,000 litres of fuel

20 m

Currently on display in the Police Academy (in Avila)

Journey conditions

Double-glazed windows

Fiberglass hull (7 cm thick)

Engine speed

Steering wheel

Cargo compartment

It was very hot inside when the engine was on. There were only a few ventilation tubes. They ate energy bars and tins of sardines. They defecated in plastic bags.

Handmade semi-submersible ‘Aldán’

Cross section of a narco-submarine, sunk on the Galician coast to hide from the police

3 tonnes of cargo

20,000 litres of fuel

20 m

Currently on display in the Police Academy (in Avila)

Journey conditions

It was very hot inside when the engine was on. There were only a few ventilation tubes. They ate energy bars and tins of sardines. They defecated in plastic bags.

Double-glazed windows

Fiberglass hull (7 cm thick)

Engine speed

Steering wheel

Cargo compartment

Handmade semi-submersible ‘Aldán’

Cross section of a narco-submarine, sunk on the Galician coast to hide from the police

3 tonnes of cargo

20,000 litres of fuel

20 m

Currently on display in the Police Academy (in Avila)

Double-glazed windows

Journey conditions

It was very hot inside when the engine was on. There were only a few ventilation tubes. They ate energy bars and tins of sardines. They defecated in plastic bags.

Fiberglass hull (7 cm thick)

Engine speed

Steering wheel

Cargo compartment

The first narco-submarine was found in Spain in 2019 in the Aldán estuary, in Pontevedra, Galicia. Since then, another four of these ships have been found. The former Galician drug capo, Laureano Oubiña, stated in a suspect memoir that these devices have been used at least since the turn of the century. The drug trafficker added that between the Canary and Azores islands, there is a narco-submarine graveyard since these waters were a transfer site of cocaine from the semi-submersibles to other ships. Once they have completed their mission, the traffickers sink the ships that left South America, so they don’t leave a trace.

But the route to Spain isn’t the only one where these types of ships are being found. In January this year, they found a narco-submarine in Sierra Leone, in West Africa. The ship was empty, meaning the drugs had already been delivered. This case is linked with Dutch citizen Johannes Leijdekkers, known as ‘El gordo Joos’. This trafficker was seen in Sierra Leone and is supposedly linked to their current president. He is considered one of the biggest traffickers in the EU and worldwide. A 200,000 euro reward will be granted for any clue that leads to his arrest.

Routes

Spain

United States

Madeira

Canary Islands

NORTH ATLANTIC

Venezuela

Sierra Leone

Colombia

Guyana

SOUTH ATLANTIC

Brazil

The Atlantic crossing is as short as possible, a journey that lasts around three weeks. The submersibles that turn up onshore have been abandoned after successfully delivering their goods to other ships.

Expansion to the Pacific Pacífico

Ecuador

SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN

New Zealand

Antarctica

Travel to Australia is the longest possible route, but it’s still worthwhile because drugs can cost up to four times more than in Europe.

SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN

New Zealand

Australia

Antarctica

Spain

United States

Madeira

Canary Islands

NORTH ATLANTIC

Venezuela

Sierra Leone

Colombia

Guyana

SOUTH ATLANTIC

Brazil

Expansion to the Pacific

Travel to Australia is the longest possible route, but it’s still worthwhile because drugs can cost up to four times more than in Europe.

Ecuador

SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN

New Zealand

Antarctica

SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN

New Zealand

Australia

Antarctica

Unloading in Galicia

Spain

Azores

Route to Europe: 20-25 days of travel

United States

Madeira

Canary Islands

NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN

Cape Verde

Venezuela

Sierra Leone

Guyana

First discovery of a narco-submarine on African coasts

Brazil

Colombia

French Guiana

Route to US. By sea to the north of Mexico: 2 weeks of travel

SOUTH ATLANTIC OCEAN

Brazil

Expansion to the Pacific

Travel to Australia is the longest possible route, but it’s still worthwhile because drugs can cost up to four times more than in Europe.

Ecuador

SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN

New Zealand

Antarctica

New Zealand

Australia

Antarctica

Unloading in Galicia

Spain

Azores

United States

Madeira

Canary Islands

NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN

Cape Verde

United States

Route to Europe: 20-25 days of travel

Venezuela

Sierra Leone

Guyana

First discovery of a narco-submarine on African coasts

Suriname

Australia

Colombia

French Guiana

Route to US. By sea to the north of Mexico: 2 weeks of travel

SOUTH ATLANTIC OCEAN

Brazil

Expansion to the Pacific

Travel to Australia is the longest possible route, but it’s still worthwhile because drugs can cost up to four times more than in Europe.

Ecuador

SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN

New Zealand

Australia

Antarctica

The narco-submarine journey that was most surprising to security forces and deomnstrative of the versatility of these ships was detected in November last year. Colombian authorities found a semi-submersible that set sail from their coasts and was en route to Australia with five tonnes of cocaine in its hold. The ship had enough fuel in its reserves to carry out a journey of over 10,000 kilometres without refuelling. This Australian case reveals an astounding economic insight to these narco-submarines. In the US, a kilogram of the substance is sold at around 40,000 euros. But in Australia, because of its isolation and the difficulties of the journey, a kilogram of the narcotic can reach prices of 240,000 dollars. This information means that the narco-submarine was transporting 1.2 billion dollars worth of cocaine.

Slowness

They travel at low speeds: moving slowly makes less noise and raises less attention.

Types

Low profile semi-submersibles

Most common

Submarines

Almost undetectable, but more difficult to build

Torpedo transport

A ‘legal’ boat tows a submarine containing the cargo

Unloading

Usually it isn’t the narco-submarine that unloads the drugs, instead, close to the shore, they are transferred to another boat, which is then in charge of unloading the goods.

Fishing boats or speed boats unload the drugs

Slowness

They travel at low speeds: moving slowly makes less noise and raises less attention.

Types

Low profile semi-submersibles

Most common

Submarines

Almost undetectable, but more difficult to build

Torpedo transport

A ‘legal’ boat tows a submarine containing the cargo

Unloading

Usually it isn’t the narco-submarine that unloads the drugs, instead, close to the shore, they are transferred to another boat, which is then in charge of unloading the goods.

Fishing boats or speed boats unload the drugs

Narco-submarine

Slowness

They travel at low speeds: moving slowly makes less noise and raises less attention.

Types

Submarines

Torpedo transport

Low profile semi-submersibles

A ‘legal’ boat tows a submarine containing the cargo

Almost undetectable, but more difficult to build

Most common

Unloading

Usually it isn’t the narco-submarine that unloads the drugs, instead, close to the shore, they are transferred to another boat, which is then in charge of unloading the goods.

Narco-submarine

Fishing boats or speed boats unload the drugs

Slowness

They travel at low speeds: moving slowly makes less noise and raises less attention.

Types

Submarines

Torpedo transport

Low profile semi-submersibles

A ‘legal’ boat tows a submarine containing the cargo

Almost undetectable, but more difficult to build

Most common

Unloading

Usually it isn’t the narco-submarine that unloads the drugs, instead, close to the shore, they are transferred to another boat, which is then in charge of unloading the goods.

Fishing boats or speed boats unload the drugs

Narco-submarine

Submarine construction is not difficult. “Engineers work in the Amazon rainforest to build the semi-submersibles. Each unit can cost between half a million and a million dollars, and they still make them by hand,” said Lieutenant Colonel Remacha. The semi-submersibles are built on territories controlled by Colombian drug ring ELN and Primeiro Comando da Capital, the Brazilian cartel that has now expanded across South America. These improvised shipyards are key to the impunity with which the cartels act in sending their narco-submarines across the sea, but security forces have just started to locate the construction sites. “We are watching as their audacity grows,” said the officer of the Central Operative Unit.