Portuguese authorities have intercepted a semi-submersible vessel in the mid-Atlantic, seizing over 1.7 tonnes of cocaine and detaining four individuals. The vessel, reportedly bound for the Iberian peninsula, was located approximately 1,000 nautical miles (1,852km) off the coast of Lisbon.
Interception and Seizure
The interception of the semi-submersible vessel occurred in recent days. Portuguese police and navy personnel boarded the craft, confiscating more than 1.7 tonnes of cocaine. The operation, coordinated by the Lisbon-based Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre (MAOC) with support from the UK's National Crime Agency and the US Drug Enforcement Administration, followed intelligence indicating a criminal organization was dispatching a cocaine-laden submersible to Europe.
Arrests and Legal Proceedings
Four crew members were arrested during the operation. Police identified the suspects as two Ecuadorians, one Venezuelan, and one Colombian. Following a court appearance in the Azores on Tuesday, all four individuals were remanded into pre-trial custody. Vítor Ananias, head of Portugal's police unit to combat drug trafficking, stated at a press conference that the suspects' diverse nationalities indicated an organization not based solely in one country.
Vessel's Fate
After the seizure, the Portuguese navy determined that the vessel could not be towed back to shore due to poor weather conditions and its "fragile construction." Consequently, the semi-submersible sank in the open sea.