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6h ago

Portugal Seizes 1.7 Tonnes of Cocaine From Atlantic Narco‑Sub as Four Are Detained

MAOC‑N intelligence set up a multinational interception targeting a semi‑submersible bound for Europe.

Portugal intercepta narcosubmarino con 1,7 toneladas de cocaína en el Atlántico central: cuatro fueron arrestadas
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Imagen de uno de los paquetes de cocaína, con la fotografía de Vladimir Putin, incautado por la policía.

Overview

  • Acting on MAOC‑N alerts, Portugal’s Polícia Judiciária, Navy and Air Force launched Operation El Dorado to stop a semi‑submersible in the central Atlantic.
  • With support from the UK NCA plus the US DEA and JIATF South, forces intercepted the craft about 1,000 nautical miles off Lisbon as it carried more than 1.7 tonnes of cocaine bound for Europe, including Spain.
  • Two Ecuadorians, one Venezuelan and one Colombian were arrested on board and placed in pre‑trial detention after a hearing in the Azores.
  • The vessel’s fragile construction and rough seas prevented a tow to port, and it sank after the seizure.
  • Authorities say semi‑submersibles are now a recurring trafficking method, a trend unfolding as recent U.S. strikes on suspected narco‑vessels attract legal and diplomatic scrutiny.