Europe 'literally being flooded with cocaine' as narco-subs evade detection crossing Atlantic

As the U.S. ramps up attacks connected alleged drug-trafficking boats, blowing up vessels and sidesplitting their crews, American allies crossed the Atlantic are waging their ain at-sea fights with suspected narcotics smugglers.

"Europe is virtually being flooded with cocaine," Artur Vaz, Portugal's narcotics constabulary chief, told Fox News.

"Criminal organizations... get the drugs successful Latin America, and past the terms astatine which they spot it successful the markets... there's a large nett borderline here," said Vaz, manager of the National Unit for Combating Drug Trafficking astatine Portugal's Judiciary Police.

The drugs travel implicit successful cargo ships, high-speed boats and, increasingly, low-budget, semi-submersible vessels known colloquially arsenic "narco-subs". These boats sail mostly undetected with lone the apical of the trade disposable — often painted, researchers say, successful steely blues and grays to blend successful with the stormy Atlantic waves and evade surveillance efforts.

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Spanish constabulary pursuit a high-speed vessel carrying suspected cause smugglers successful footage released by the Guardia Civil. (Guardia Civil via Storyful)

Portuguese authorities scored a notable seizure this fall, intercepting a narco-sub successful the mid-Atlantic with 1.7 metric tons of cocaine connected board. But European authorities admit that galore others are making it past their defenses.

"The interdiction rates for these subs is betwixt 10%, roughly, and possibly arsenic debased arsenic 5%," said Sam Woolston, a Honduras-based investigative writer specializing successful organized crime.

"Even if 1 oregon 2 get nabbed by the authorities, it's not capable to dissuade them."

European authorities mostly take to intercept narco boats, stopping acold abbreviated of the Trump administration's argumentation of destroying them. Instead, the often low-rung crews are detained for interrogation, successful the anticipation of shedding airy connected shady cause kingpins, pack operations and organisation networks.

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Officials archer Fox News, though, that they would similar to bash more.

"We indispensable beryllium much muscular — that is, with greater means and a greater capableness for intervention," said Vaz, the Portuguese constabulary director. "But, of course, wrong the regularisation of law."

As for the narco-subs, those vessels aren't new, but they ne'er utilized to transverse oceans.

"It's mind-boggling, the level of sophistication," Derek Maltz, a erstwhile acting main of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, told Fox News.

Portuguese constabulary inspect the country aft capturing a narco-sub successful March 2025, authorities said. (Policia Judiciaria.)

"But it's each astir the money, and it's each astir the risk, and close present I don't deliberation these networks comprehend Europe arsenic a immense hazard for them."

Journalist Woolston says the transatlantic voyage is typically crewed by "desperate people," fixed its perilous nature.

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"You'll beryllium locked up successful a precise tiny compartment for days, usually inhaling things similar diesel fumes. There person been cases of narco submarines recovered with a unit of dormant bodies.

"The kingpins would not get connected these boats."