Cartels develop explosive-laden drone submarines to ferry cocaine to Europe

According to a Colombian navy intelligence briefing, drug cartels are preparing a fleet of unmanned, explosive-armed drone submarines capable of moving as much as nine tons of cocaine—valued at up to £700 million—in a single Atlantic crossing. Built in clandestine shipyards deep in the Colombian jungle, the vessels can be steered from South America or navigate autonomously via GPS and Elon Musk’s Starlink system. Upon reaching the Spanish coast, speedboats are dispatched to off-load the drugs, which are then smuggled overland, frequently to the UK.

The subs are rigged to explode either automatically or by remote command if law-enforcement attempts to board them, a tactic intended to deter seizures and destroy evidence. Experts, including author Peter Walsh, suggest former Colombian military specialists are contributing to the design, likening them to elite naval units. While the navy predicts the first operational runs could occur by 2035, some analysts argue the technology could be in European waters within two years.