Planes and military ships chased down a speedboat off the coast of Colombia on Tuesday, March 26. The speedboat was reportedly carrying 3.7 tons of cocaine, worth an estimated $113 million. The cocaine seizure is reported to be the largest along the Colombian Caribbean Sea this year.
The operation to prevent alleged drug smuggling operations involved the Colombian Navy, Colombian air force and the U.S. Joint Interagency Task Force South.
The Colombian navy released video showing the speedboat’s crew tossing packages overboard, then maneuvering the boat erratically to shake authorities. The high-speed water chase reportedly went on for several miles until authorities could intercept the boat. Eventually, authorities said they detained three Colombians, one Honduran and one Venezuelan, according to CBS News.
Just days before this most recent chase, officials announced that an American patrol aircraft and a British warship pursued another speedboat. The crew reportedly threw drugs into the water near the U.S. Virgin Islands. The smugglers were allegedly carrying 3 tons of cocaine and other drugs, according to U.K. officials.
In February, a joint search-and-rescue mission by the Colombian and Ecuadorian navies for two missing fishermen off Colombia’s coast led to the discovery of a so-called narco-sub. The sub was loaded with more than 4 tons of cocaine with a cash value of more than $200 million.
Colombia has a rich supply of cocaine. The country accounts for 70%-80% of the world’s cocaine supply, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency. Additionally, a United Nations report in September shows potential coca production in Colombia has risen 24% since 2021.
