A joint anti-drug operation between Colombia and Ecuador led to the seizure of two semi-submersibles loaded with drugs this weekend, the two countries announced.
On Sunday, the Colombian Navy announced in a press release the capture of the “
first semi-submersible of the year
” in the country.
The fifteen-meter-long craft was intercepted in the Pacific Ocean near the port of Buenaventura (west) and was carrying 795 kilos of cocaine.
The three people who were on board were arrested.
On Saturday, the Ecuadorian armed forces announced the seizure of another semi-submersible, which was also sailing in the Pacific and carrying almost three tons of cocaine.
The craft was also gray in color and measured fifteen meters long.
It was captured about sixty kilometers from the coast of Esmeraldas (northwest Ecuador), and three Colombians who were on board were arrested.
According to a statement from the Ecuadorian army, the operation was carried out in collaboration with the Ecuadorian police and the Colombian navy.
According to a United Nations report, 2022 was a record year for cocaine production in Colombia.
Coca leaf cultivation increased by 13% to reach 230,000 hectares of crops.
Although it does not produce cocaine, Ecuador has become one of the main drug crossing points on the continent, leading to an explosion in crime.