By John Q. Hosedrinker 
Colombian Navy divers discovered a significant cocaine seizure beneath a ship destined for Europe. During an underwater inspection, they found seven sealed bags containing over 450 pounds of suspected cocaine. This operation follows a recent confiscation of over seven tons of drugs from other vessels in the Pacific Ocean. The U.S. has placed sanctions on Colombian President Gustavo Petro, criticizing his handling of drug cartels, while Petro maintains the U.S. strikes on suspected drug boats have resulted in civilian casualties.
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Divers find over 450 pounds of cocaine hidden underneath ship bound for Europe, Colombia’s navy says, and this immediately brings to mind some, let’s say, *creative* smuggling strategies I’ve heard of. The whole idea of attaching stuff to the bottom of a ship isn’t exactly a new phenomenon. I remember reading about it, and it feels like there have been various attempts over the years to outsmart the authorities.
The thing is, it’s not always simple. I recall learning about how customs agents in a Nordic country were using underwater drones to find these hidden packages. It seems like the smugglers were attaching these hollowed-out torpedoes, filled with drugs, to the bottoms of ships. The plan? Dive at night, detach the torpedo, and disappear. The ship’s crew wouldn’t even know they were part of the operation.
The authorities were, understandably, understaffed and underequipped, but the drones offered a way to find these torpedoes without having to rely on divers, which, in theory, should have made things more difficult for the cartels. It seems like it was considered as part of doing business. Losing a certain percentage of product to confiscations is something that cartels likely factor into their planning.
Then you start to consider the methods and evolution of it all. It starts with stuff attached, cops catch on, so the narcos adapt. First, they used a submersible torpedo that trailed the boat and could be released if needed. Eventually, they progressed to full-on submarines. It is a crazy evolution.
I’m imagining, if the ship’s about to be searched, they can have it all sink to the ocean floor. And then retrieve it later. That is pretty smart, honestly. It shows how the arms race between smugglers and law enforcement never really stops.
Considering the scale of these operations, 450 pounds might not be a lot, I mean, they are moving it by the ton. But even so, it’s still a significant amount of cocaine taken off the streets. Just imagine, 450 pounds of coke! The authorities getting that amount? It’s like finding a needle in a haystack, and the fact they did it is a feat.
I am also thinking of all the different methods I’ve read about. Fake exhaust chimneys, and even, get this, building the ship out of cocaine bricks! It all feels so ridiculous that it just might work. Even the Simpsons probably covered this. It’s wild, the creativity these guys have.
And then there’s the humor around the situation. All the jokes about how much coke was found, all the various amounts thrown around – I guess it’s a way to deal with the absurdity of it all. Someone’s saying, “I can’t believe they got 50 pounds of cocaine in this bust! Great job, Team!” Another person is imagining someone saying “Just put the 250 lbs in the evidence locker after that”.
The reality is that these organizations are always trying to find new ways to smuggle drugs, and law enforcement is always trying to stay one step ahead. It’s an ongoing battle, and it doesn’t seem like it’s going to end anytime soon, which makes me wonder what the next big innovation in drug smuggling will be.