This is one of those things where part of me wants to applaud their ingenuity, and the part of me is kind of pissed off that it’s come to this.
Apparently, cartels are actually building semi-submarines, which operate much like a sub running on the surface - low radar profile, submerged engine, hard to see, etc.
When I was a Coastie, I had heard about these things, but back then they were so rare that they were sort of a “Coast Guard Urban Legend”, in that some people had heard of them, but no one had ever actually seen one. Of course, that might have had something to do with the fact that for the last six years, there were 23 total reported cases involving the semi-subs. This year, CGIS says there will probably be in the 80’s or so with even more to come next year.
As I said, I do have to admire the ingenuity of the guys building these. At a million a pop they’re not cheap, and yet if they get caught the crew will often bail out of the boat and scuttle it to keep the CG from impounding their vessel and narcotics. Actually, if I had a cool million to throw around on a boat, I’d build a semi-submarine, but instead of carrying 14 metric tons of cargo, mine would have a luxury suite down below. I’d just have to make sure it was correctly registered, because the Coast Guard is working to get a law passed that would make operating an unflagged semi-sub a felony in itself.
Of course, semi-subs haven’t displaced the primary narcotics trafficking methods, surface vessels and aircraft, but their marked increase is a direct result of the success Coast Guard and LE officials have had in picking off traffickers.
on Mar 21st, 2008 at 3:23 pm
I’m surprised that not one navy operates a dedicated “cargo sub”. It could be handy for sneaking stuff around… or through a blockade.
How does Coast Guard patrols even work? I’m not very familiar with the subject. Do they randomly inspect every ship or is it based on statistical likelihoods?
on Mar 24th, 2008 at 7:23 am
Subs have a volume problem as far as cargo goes - I’m not sure these subs would be cost-effective smuggling even weed.
Plus, real nuc boats are expensive to own and operate. Though I believe the USN is or has plans to convert one or more boomers to covert-ops support by taking out the missile room and replacing with storage and racks.
on Mar 24th, 2008 at 7:52 am
Well, these aren’t true subs, they’re surface vessels that have a relatively deep draft to allow them to carry up to 14 metric tons.
on Mar 24th, 2008 at 6:21 pm
That was my understanding as well from the article and video. Wash down the deck to reduce radar and visaul cross section. But at roughly a mil per, is 14 tonnes of weed cost-effective to smuggle? Recalling that the empty either has to be towed back for re-use, or you’re blowing a mil on a one-use container. The first hit in google for street value of majijuana is roughly $1,000/lb. Street value of cocaine is $12K/kg - converting the MJ to metric gives us around $2,200/kg of MJ. 14 tonnes of MJ is therefore $2.2mil, whereas 14 tonnes of cocaine is $12 mil. So I would be forced to say wither my slipstick skills are failing me, or smuggling MJ by lowrider boat is cost-ineffective.
I was resonding to Alcibiades question about real navies with real subs.
on Mar 24th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
From what I understand, they do get multiple runs out of these tubs, so at a mil for construction, you can make that money back on one dope run; and then keep earning.
But it would be more profitable with blow.