Seizures in the Caribbean could lead to increased use of narco-submarines

The Caribbean, historically a major region for drug trafficking, has once again come into the spotlight following the seizure of a narco-submarine, a sign that the use of such vessels may be an increasingly common tactic for drug shipments along this smuggling route.

On September 12, British authorities reported that the Royal Navy’s HMS Trent had intercepted and seized two tons of cocaine from a speedboat and a semi-submersible in the Caribbean Sea, south of the Dominican Republic. The August 26 operation was conducted in collaboration with U.S. authorities and resulted in the arrest of 11 people, all of whom are now charged with drug trafficking. The origin of the narco-submarine and the nationalities of those arrested remain unknown.

Initially, these ships were rudimentary, often built in the jungles of Colombia, and primarily transported drugs along Colombia’s Pacific coast. As construction techniques evolved, drug trafficking organizations expanded their operations to ship drugs to Europe and North America. The ships have also come from Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela, and northern Brazil.

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Although the Caribbean has fewer narco-submarines than the Pacific, the region is no stranger to them. In 2011, Honduran authorities seized 6.6 tons of cocaine from a submarine near the Nicaraguan border. Between 2006 and 2012, the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted at least five of these vessels in the region.

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The interception of a narco-submarine in Caribbean waters could signal a shift in drug trafficking routes and demonstrate the growing sophistication of tactics used by criminal networks in the region. This incident underscores the strategic importance of the Caribbean to transnational criminal organizations.

The Caribbean has long been a vital drug trafficking route due to its proximity to South American cocaine producers such as Colombia. For decades, drug traffickers have relied on speedboats, light aircraft, pleasure boats and commercial vessels to move drugs through the Caribbean.

While narco-submarines are relatively new to the Caribbean, their presence is not unprecedented, according to Sjoerd Top, executive director of the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre (MAOC). The appearance of a narco-submarine in the region “is not a new trend or an isolated incident, as we have seen similar vessels coming from Brazil or Colombia,” he told InSight Crime.

“If they have success with one route, they try to repeat that on other routes,” he added.

Although traditionally associated with Pacific routes, the rise of narco-submarines in the Caribbean has been linked to the need for criminal groups to adapt to more intensive maritime security operations. These operations, involving forces such as the Royal Navy, the US Coast Guard, local Caribbean officials and European authorities from countries with territories in the region, such as France and the Netherlands, have made conventional smuggling methods increasingly risky.

In this context, the use of narco-submarines in the Caribbean could be a direct response to increased interdiction efforts. Drug trafficking networks are turning to advanced technologies to avoid detection.

“With all the efforts that law enforcement and governments are making to disrupt drug trafficking and other illicit goods, organized crime groups are developing and trying to use narco submarines,” Top explains.

Recent military and police operations, along with increased patrols, reflect a significant intensification of efforts to combat drug trafficking in these waters.

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The successful seizure of the narco-submarine by British authorities may also be due to improved international cooperation and enhanced intelligence sharing between authorities in the region. This cooperation has strengthened efforts to combat drug trafficking, as evidenced by the increased seizure of cocaine in the French Caribbean as a result of joint efforts by French and Venezuelan authorities. Similarly, partnerships in Guyana with international actors have strengthened counter-narcotics operations, despite local limitations.

A good example is the recent seizure of 4.4 tons of cocaine in Guyana, which underscores the growing international interest of law enforcement in the region.

“Without international cooperation, achievements like these would not be possible. At MAOC, I can say that in two-thirds of cases, the seizures are carried out by a country or agency other than the one that originally collected the intelligence,” Top noted.

This cooperation extends beyond intelligence sharing. “Every time a country finds a semi-submarine, we all learn from it,” Top explained. With growing international attention and involvement in the region, it is likely that more cocaine will be seized and more narco-submarines will be intercepted.

Main image: Personnel atop the narco-submarine from which HMS Trent seized cocaine. Credit: UK Royal Navy