Colombia’s navy successfully intercepted the largest narco-submarine ever seized in the country since data started being recorded in 1993. Measuring 100 feet in length and 10 feet in width, the submarine was found to be carrying three tons of cocaine with an estimated street value exceeding $100 million.

Colombia has long been recognized as the world’s largest producer of cocaine, fueling the global drug trade, as the United States stands as the largest consumer of cocaine worldwide. It is against this backdrop that the submarine was apprehended in the Pacific Ocean, en route to Central America, which is a common transit route for drug smuggling to the U.S.

Law enforcement authorities apprehended three crew members who were operating the narco-submarine. If convicted, these individuals could face up to 14 years in prison, underscoring the severity of penalties imposed on drug traffickers in Colombia.

The detained crew are all Colombians and claimed to have been “forced by a drug trafficking organization” to take the sub to Central America, per a statement released by the navy.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, cocaine ranks as the second most trafficked drug into the U.S., following methamphetamine. While authorities continue to confront cocaine smuggling, they have also prioritized their efforts in cracking down on fentanyl smuggling across the U.S. border. In 2022, the DEA announced fentanyl seizures had more than doubled from the year prior, highlighting the growing problem posed by this powerful synthetic opioid.