More than 200 kilograms of cocaine, discovered by divers hidden under a ship headed for Europe
Divers in Colombia discovered a large quantity of cocaine under a ship that was preparing to leave for Europe, the Colombian navy announced on Tuesday.
The divers brought the drugs to the surface PHOTO: X
Navy crew members from a Pacific coast port conducted an underwater inspection of the Europe-bound merchant ship, successfully seizing more than 200 kilograms of cocaine, military officials said on social media.
During the underwater inspection, divers from the coast guard station Buenaventura found seven “suspicious bags” sealed that contained narcotics, the Navy said, writes CBS News.
Officials released photos of the seizure, showing images of divers retrieving the drugs, as well as dozens of packages lying on the ground.
The seizure came just days after the navy announced it had seized more than seven tonnes of drugs from two speedboats and a semi-submersible, or so-called “narco sub“, also in the Pacific Ocean. Officials released images and video of the operation, which showed several packages aboard a boat and the alleged suspects surrendering and being pulled from the water.
Last month, the Trump administration announced sanctions against Colombian President Gustavo Petro and members of his family, accusing the leader of “allowed drug cartels to flourish”. The sanctions followed months of tension between President Trump and Petro over deportations of American migrants and attacks on suspected drug-trafficking boats off the coast of South America.
In an exclusive conversation with CBS News in October, Petro said some of those killed in US strikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats were innocent civilians and reiterated his charge that the attacks violate international law.
“It's easy to kill the workers in this industry,” Peter said. “But if you want to be effective, you have to capture the bosses of this industry.”
The White House has denied that innocent civilians were killed in the attacks on the boats.
The Drug Enforcement Administration says about 90 percent of the cocaine that reaches the US comes from Colombia, and Mr. Trump has blamed Petro, saying he has failed to rein in drug cartels operating in his country.
“They insulted me,” Petro told CBS News. “And repeatedly, but all I can do is be honest.”
