US Coast Guard shows drug bust of makeshift submarine with 12,000 lbs of cocaine (VIDEO)
The United States Coast Guard recently released a video of a drug bust off the coast of Central America which yielded 12,000 pounds of cocaine.
The video was released on August 6, 2015, showing the US Coast Guard intercepting the makeshift submersible craft, which appeared to be made by the drug smugglers.
The US Coast Guard was given a tip off after a US Navy pilot spotted the vessel about 200 miles south of Mexico.
During the bust, which occurred on July 16, 2015, the authorities brought the four smugglers out and placed them under arrest. They then saw the cargo and began offloading it onto their boat.
The sheer immensity of the bust was made apparent when they finally piled up the bales of cocaine, which weighed approximately 12,000 pounds.
The street value of the cocaine was estimated to be around US$181 million.
The 40-foot-long makeshift boats are a popular form of transportation used by Colombian drug smugglers.
Officials say these types of drug busts are becoming common on the high seas.
Just two days before, on July 16, the US Coast Guard stopped another submarine-like vessel carrying more than 5,000 pounds of cocaine.
And over 2,000 vessels packed with narcotics have been intercepted by the Coast Guard since 2006.
