Posted on 08/06/2015 1:34:17 PM PDT by PROCON
ALAMEDA, Calif. -- A U.S. Coast Guard crew from Alameda, California stopped a semi-submersible vessel carrying more than 16,000 pounds of cocaine in the Eastern Pacific Ocean last month -- the largest bust of its kind in Coast Guard history.
CBS San Francisco reports that on July 18, the crew apprehended four suspected smugglers and captured 275 bales of cocaine worth more than $181 million wholesale from the self-propelled semi-submersible (SPSS) vessel, a low-riding vessel often used to smuggle massive quantities of narcotics across the ocean nearly undetected.
But not this time. The U.S. Navy maritime patrol aircraft found the 40-foot "narco-submarine" more than 200 miles south of Mexico.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
Oops.
If this was 0bama's private stash, heads will roll.
Confidence must have been really high.
Too Bad! ...Too Sad!!
Makes you wonder how many of these submarines did not get seized.
After catch and release, the submarine’s crew were dropped off in illegal sanctuary, San Francisco.
And yet it won’t make even a small dent in the market. Capitalism rocks.
All four accused smugglers say they ‘the cocaine doesn’t belong to any crew member, and actually, nobody really knows how it got there!”
Actually, I suspect that is fully truthful. I'd hate to answer to the owner for such a failed mission.
Be on the lookout for orcas with red blow-holes and odd behavior.
Looks like the cartels have chosen to follow Ericsson’s layout of monitor. since it sunk it may even had the same major issue (though probably not from same cause) of very poor sea keeping.
Holy Moly — wow, 16,000 pounds!!!
Using a SEMI-submersible. Best way to have a floating vessel avoid surface search radars. But slow...well this one got caught. It would be interesting to know who built this craft.
Regardless, there are going to be a bunch of decorations hanging from some tall trees over this one!!! Lots of pesos -— bye bye. And someone better hide the key to the “evidence locker” on this stuff. Wow.
Looks like the cartels have chosen to follow Ericsson’s layout of monitor. since it sunk it may even had the same major issue (though probably not from same cause) of very poor sea keeping.
Note the very low profile which means low radar signature as well. A semi-submersible is a lot easier to do than a genuine submarine, less concerns about buoyancy vs ballasting amongst many other factors.
Captain Obama...!
What would Trump do?
I feel so.....GOOD!
If Obama had a submarine...
Das Toot
Fact ... Seized a vessel
Fact ... the vessel is semi submersible
Fact ... it is OFTEN used in smuggling drugs
Fact ... 275 bales of cocaine (they counted 'em!)
Fact ... The value of which is over 181 million dollars
Fact ... welllll ... maybe NOT a fact ....
The four guys apprehended are suspected of being smugglers ...
They might have thought they were in a powered surf board or something.
They are lucky. Usually when one of these mini-subs gets detected, the crew scuttles it and takes to a raft. Now, by law, it’s a rescue mission, not a police operation.
To the smugglers, loss of a load is part of doing business, and as for the crew as long as they maintain silence they can’t be charged.
And what happens to the semi-submersible? Well, some get scuttled after delivery, and some get packed with 20’s pressed into bales, refueled, and sent home with the loot.
Both routes go pretty far out into the pacific to stay out of shipping lanes and avoid surveillance gear like sonoboys and OTH radar.
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