Colombian Navy Seizes Record 225-Tons of Cocaine
A six-week international anti-narcotics operation involving 62 countries resulted in the seizure of 1.4K metric tons of drugs, including 225 tons of cocaine, the Colombian Navy said Wednesday.
Facts
- A six-week international anti-narcotics operation involving 62 countries resulted in the seizure of 1.4K metric tons of drugs, including 225 tons of cocaine, the Colombian Navy said Wednesday.[1][2][3]
- The operation intercepted six semi-submersible vessels, with one that was discovered 2K kilometers southwest of Clipperton Island in the Pacific carrying five tons of cocaine bound for Australia.[4][5]
- The massive operation, codenamed "Orion," led to over 400 arrests and deprived drug cartels of approximately $8.5B in potential revenue. It also revealed new alliances between cartels from Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru with criminal groups from Europe and Oceania.[6][7]
- Colombian authorities discovered a new trafficking route to Australia, where cocaine can sell for up to $240K per kilogram, approximately six times higher than US prices.[8]
- The narco-submarines, typically constructed from fiberglass-covered wood, can travel up to 16K kilometers (around 9,942 miles) without refueling and operate at depths of up to three meters (9.8 feet) to evade detection.[9][10]
- According to Bloomberg, Colombia's cocaine output surged to a record 1,738 tons in 2022 — nearly double the 972 tons it produced in 2021. Australians are reportedly the highest per capita users of cocaine in the world.[8][11]
Sources: [1]CBS, [2]Pamfleti, [3]CNN (a), [4]CNN (b), [5]Euronews, [6]The Guardian, [7]NDTV, [8]BBC News, [9]WION, [10]Firstpost and [11]New York Post.
Narratives
- Narrative A, as provided by The Times. The unprecedented international cooperation has dealt a significant blow to drug trafficking organizations, preventing thousands of deaths from overdoses and disrupting cartel profits through sophisticated maritime interdiction strategies. This is a big win.
- Narrative B, as provided by Dryad Global. This bust reveals the evolving sophistication of drug trafficking operations, which, coupled with Colombia's record cocaine production and soaring global demand, indicates that cartels are adapting faster than law enforcement can respond, particularly with cocaine potentially overtaking oil as Colombia's main export.
