Ecuadoran Drug Smuggling Submarine

Law enforcement agents in Ecuador discovered a fairly modern, long-range submarine built by narcotics smugglers. It was about to launch for a trip to North America:

The sophisticated camouflaged vessel has a conning tower, periscope and air-conditioning system. It measured about nine feet high from the deck plates to the ceiling and stretched nearly a 100 feet long. The DEA says it was built for transoceanic drug trafficking.

“The submarine’s nautical range, payload capacity, and quantum leap in stealth have raised the stakes for the counter-drug forces and the national security community alike,” said DEA Andean Regional Director Jay Bergman.

It is unclear how far the camouflage-painted submarine could have traveled, but it is believed to be sophisticated enough to cover thousands of miles — and certainly to make it to the North American coast.

Link via Patterico | Photo: EPA/Jaime Echeverria