Spanish coastal authorities have recovered a suspected drug-smuggling submarine that broke into two pieces off the coast of Galicia. The incident occurred when a fishing boat attempted to tow the vessel toward the port of Camariñas.
According to Spain’s Civil Guard, the fishing boat “María Cristina” spotted a “semi-submerged” vessel near the Camariñas-Muxía coastline on Wednesday morning. The fishermen immediately alerted the authorities and began towing the craft toward the harbor. However, during the operation, the submarine split into two sections, one of which sank.
Authorities believe the vessel could be a “narco-submarine,” a specialized craft often used to transport illegal drugs. Such submarines are typically employed to smuggle narcotics from Colombia to Europe or the United States. Police divers are now searching for the sunken section to conduct further investigations.
The Galician coast has long been a key route for drug smuggling due to its rugged, mountainous shoreline dotted with small coves and caves, which provide ideal hiding spots for traffickers. In 2019, Spanish police seized a similar submarine in the same region, which was found to contain over three tons of cocaine.
These semi-submersible vessels are designed to operate partially underwater, making them difficult to detect. However, some advanced models are fully submersible, allowing them to evade detection entirely.
Spanish officials have noted a rise in the use of such submarines for drug trafficking, as smugglers increasingly adopt sophisticated techniques to transport narcotics securely. The discovery underscores the ongoing challenges faced by law enforcement in combating organized crime networks operating along Europe’s Atlantic coast.
