Colombian navy finds shipwrecked boat with over 750 kilos of drugs floating nearby
The Colombian Navy and National Army discovered a shipwrecked boat that was transporting 33 kilograms of cocaine and 744 kilograms of marijuana.
The drugs were floating in the water near the boat, which was found on the Naya River near the country's coastal Buenaventura district, the navy said in a news release. There were 32 floating packages in total.
The packages contained "narcotic substances," the navy said. The packages were tested by the Technical Investigation Corps of the Attorney's General's Office in a preliminary test, which found the substances to be cocaine hydrochloride and marijuana.
The navy said the seizure meant that nearly $6 million was prevented from going to organizations dedicated to drug trafficking, and that the sale of more than 200,000 doses of drugs was prevented.
Two individuals were also found near the boat. They were both of Costa Rican nationality, the navy said, and stated that they were the owners of the boat.
The seized materials, two men and boat were brought to the municipal prosecutor's office for prosecution on charges of trafficking, manufacturing and/or possession of narcotics, the navy said.
The Colombian navy has intercepted dozens of boats transporting illicit substances in recent years. Sometimes, submarines or "narco subs" have attempted to evade detection by traveling underwater. Recently, the navy intercepted what authorities said was a "suspicious" boat carrying $41 million worth of cocaine and traveling to Central America.
According to the BBC, Colombia produces 60% of the cocaine found in the world. CBS News has previously reported that the United States is the world's largest consumer of Colombian cocaine.
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Kerry Breen is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University's Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News' TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use.
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