US EditionColombia Seizes Drone Narco-Submarine with Starlink Tech
COLOMBIA, JUL 2 – The Colombian Navy seized an unmanned semi-submersible with Starlink tech capable of carrying 1.5 tons of cocaine, marking a shift to remotely operated drug trafficking methods.
- On Wednesday, July 2, 2025, the Colombian navy revealed it had intercepted an unmanned drug-smuggling submarine fitted with a Starlink satellite antenna near the Caribbean coast.
- This event follows a pattern of traffickers using advanced autonomous vessels, with Mexican cartels developing unmanned submarines since 2017 and 2024 seeing near-record interceptions in the Atlantic and Pacific.
- The vessel, owned by the Gulf Clan and capable of transporting 1.5 tons of cocaine, was empty and believed to be a trial run, as confirmed by naval spokespeople and Western sources.
- A video released depicted a small grey semi-submersible equipped with a satellite antenna, and a spokeswoman confirmed the vessel utilized Starlink technology, adding that the navy is continuing to investigate the specifics of its operation.
- The seizure underscores traffickers' move to advanced unmanned vessels that are difficult to spot and reflects their ongoing efforts to outmaneuver law enforcement amid Colombia’s record-high cocaine production.
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75 Articles
der Standard AT
der Standard DEThe Colombian Navy has seized an advanced narco-boat used for drug smuggling. The technological advancement is causing concern among experts.
This is the first time they intercept a maritime narcodron in Hispanic America, and the first completely autonomous, thanks to Starlink's satellite connection.
The Colombian Navy announced on Wednesday that it had captured the first remotely operated submarine equipped with a Starlink antenna off the Caribbean coast.
Drone narco-sub captured off coast of Colombia
The Colombian navy said on Wednesday, July 2, that it seized an unmanned narco-submarine for the first time in South American waters. Authorities said they found the vessel off the country’s Caribbean coast as part of a larger crackdown on drug trafficking involving 62 countries called “Multinational Strategy Orion.” Colombian officials told AFP the narco-sub did not have any drugs on board, but was equipped with a Starlink internet satellite. T…
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