Empty, scuttled semi-submersible found in Spain

Spanish cops discovered a semi-submersible off the northwestern coast of Galicia on March 13. The ship was found scuttled, likely on purpose after the traffickers had finished unloading their cargo. Authorities suggested it may have been sitting there for weeks. The vessel could have carried up to five tons of cocaine.

The 16-meter (52-foot) vessel was spotted half sunk a kilometer off the coast in the Arousa estuary in the Ganorthwester. A similar vessel with three metric tons of cocaine on board was found in another northern Spanish estuary in 2019. The Galicia semi-submersible may be a sign of things to come. "There is nothing technically from stopping these vessels being used more frequently to smuggle drugs to Europe," one expert said.