May 4, 2024

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Colombia and Ecuador announce seizure of two semi-submersibles loaded with cocaine

Colombia and Ecuador announce seizure of two semi-submersibles loaded with cocaine

A joint anti-drug operation between Colombia and Ecuador led to the seizure of two semi-submersibles loaded with drugs this weekend, both countries announced. On Sunday, the Colombian Navy announced in a statement that the capture “The first half of the year is submersible” in the country. The fifteen-meter vessel was stopped in the Pacific Ocean near the port of Buenaventura (West) and was carrying 795 kg of cocaine. Three people on board were arrested.

On Saturday, Ecuador's armed forces announced the capture of another semi-submarine that was traveling in the Pacific Ocean and carrying nearly three tons of cocaine. The craft is gray in color and fifteen meters long. It was captured about sixty kilometers off the coast of Esmeraldas (northwest Ecuador), and the three Colombians on board were arrested.

According to a statement from the Ecuadorian military, the operation was carried out in cooperation with the Ecuadorian police and the Colombian navy. According to a United Nations report, 2022 will be a record year for cocaine production in Colombia. Cocoa leaf cultivation increased by 13% to reach 230,000 hectares of crops. Although it does not produce cocaine, Ecuador has become one of the continent's main drug trafficking points, leading to an explosion in crime.

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