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NarcoSubs Used to Transport Colombian Cocaine

By Jeralyn, Section Crime Policy
Posted on Sun Jun 27, 2010 at 03:46:36 PM EST
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According to the DEA and Coast Guard, the cartels have a new method of transporting large amounts of cocaine -- Narcosubs. The evolution from the 1980's has gone from flying cocaine into the U.S. via planes and landing at clandestine air strips, to dropping it from planes, to "go fast" boats, to narcosubs.

In the film above, it's explained that a narcosub is really just a go fast boat with a cover. The top 1/4 is above water. Vents are put in for the crew to breathe. There's a drop hatch so if they get caught, the load will fall to the floor of the ocean. At the time the film was made, 36 narcosubs had been seized.

Authorities are concerned that if drugs can be transported this way, so can weapons and explosives.

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    NarcoSubs Used to Transport Colombian Cocaine | 13 comments (13 topical)

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    And what does it say (none / 0) (#1)
    by ricosuave on Sun Jun 27, 2010 at 04:24:15 PM EST
    about our level of preparedness and our priorities that we have captured 36 of these carrying drugs but don't know of any specific info on terrorists using them?  

    It says someone is lobbying for more (none / 0) (#2)
    by inclusiveheart on Sun Jun 27, 2010 at 05:20:09 PM EST
    funding for the DEA and the Coast Guard - whose primary mission is to go around looking for roaches and dime bags on charter boats in foreign waters.  Shaking head.

    Parent
    Yup (none / 0) (#3)
    by jbindc on Sun Jun 27, 2010 at 06:04:26 PM EST
    Authorities are concerned that if drugs can be transported this way, so can weapons and explosives.

    Not a far-off possibility.  It's a real concern.

    Miguel Angel Montoya, (none / 0) (#4)
    by leap on Sun Jun 27, 2010 at 06:53:27 PM EST
    the doctor who was involved in the drug trade, noted at the very end of the film, the nut of the whole problem: If the drugs were not illegal, there would not be the drug trade problem. Period. And the military officer agreed, that yes, this is an economic problem. Now there is too much money in "fighting" the illegal drug traffickers and users, so this will never go away. What a sad, sick, and useless endeavor.

    While you may be right (none / 0) (#5)
    by jbindc on Sun Jun 27, 2010 at 07:08:46 PM EST
    I don't think it's that simple.  I don't think if we made all drugs legal tomorrow, all the problems, all the violence, etc. would disappear.  It would get rid of some problems, but others would appear.  Narco-terrorists and cartel members are not going to sit idly by while their business goes away.

    Parent
    And just what are they going to do? (none / 0) (#6)
    by Rojas on Sun Jun 27, 2010 at 10:45:19 PM EST
    Go all in on Citigroup? Like there's a fundamental difference between the two...

    The reality is the  Narco-terrorist will disappear with the stroke of the pen. And while they'll do their best to find another illicit activity to fund there operations it won't be narcotics.

    Parent

    Sure they will (none / 0) (#7)
    by jbindc on Mon Jun 28, 2010 at 06:48:48 AM EST
    You can still buy cheaper cigarettes on the black market, and people still run moonshine.  They'll find someway to piggyback this on to some other criminal enterprise.

    They aren't going to let billions of dollars just go away.

    Parent

    That's just silly (none / 0) (#8)
    by Rojas on Mon Jun 28, 2010 at 08:47:59 AM EST
    How many Marlboros could you haul in that little boat? Do you thin one could make a profit over fuel cost if you had to haul them over fifty miles?
    Billions, and I think it's actually trillions in capital would dry up with a stroke of the pen.

    Parent
    I think it's silly (none / 0) (#9)
    by jbindc on Mon Jun 28, 2010 at 09:50:27 AM EST
    To think "one stroke of a pen" makes all the problems go away.  It's not that simple of a problem.

    Parent
    NASA was created with a stroke of the pen (none / 0) (#10)
    by Rojas on Mon Jun 28, 2010 at 11:14:39 AM EST
    Billions in development and infrastucture followed.
    The Narco Terrorist exist because of the huge amount of capital attracted to their enterprise. An artificial market created by prohibition.
    A stroke of the pen won't solve all problems, but it would be a death blow to the artificial market.

    Parent
    I think you're right Rojas... (none / 0) (#11)
    by kdog on Mon Jun 28, 2010 at 11:31:14 AM EST
    as long as the taxes aren't so high that the black market can still make a killing slinging tax free dope vs. their taxed and regulated competitors, so many problems will go away with the stroke of that pen.  

    Parent
    Yup (none / 0) (#12)
    by squeaky on Mon Jun 28, 2010 at 11:41:09 AM EST
    But think of all the poor people who will be out of work. A massive number, no doubt.

    Parent
    True... (none / 0) (#13)
    by kdog on Mon Jun 28, 2010 at 11:51:35 AM EST
    the drug war, for all its tyrannical evil, does provide opportunity for those with big brass ones denied more conventional opportunity.

    I will shed a tear for the friendly neighborhood bush doctor if prohibition were ever repealed, but the good outweighs the bad...gotta get them cages open.

    Parent

    NarcoSubs Used to Transport Colombian Cocaine | 13 comments (13 topical)

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