Narco Submarines, What You Need To Know

[@samadams2203]

Despite their criminal use, I really must applaud the human ingenuity involved in their design and manufacture.

[@mikentx57]

I agree I have been fascinated with these. made ina hut in a jungle. Then somehow they get then to the sea, load them then sail off with minimal everything. I say that if those that build these are caught. They should not go to jail but given jobs with legitimate boat builders. They seem to have some pretty good skills.

[@pilgrim....]

It's very clever and all that but just dumping it in the sea after use is so human too.

[@afox5319]

at this pace, if we dont legalise drugs, they will be using homemade hypersonic cruise missiles full of drugs in 30 years

[@DerUfo]

@@afox5319 Maybe we can call them UAPs?

[@SenkaBandit]

@@afox5319 I’m not sure why we’d legalize cocaine lol

[@Mint-Lynx]

Insane to think that some of the manned vessels cross the Atlantic. I can see them reaching from Columbia to Mexico, but to cross the Atlantic I can only assume that route has ended with a lot of lost shipments.

[@dave_sic1365]

Around the equator is a very calm weatherband. This would be perfect to cross the Atlantic but they would have to sail all the way up to Europe if they aren't unloaded in Africa.

[@thomasjamison2050]

The trip across the Atlantic from Brazil to Africa is only about 1500 miles, or half the distance across the North Atlantic. From there one would just follow the shore northwards. That is the route the Phoenicians used to get cocaine to ancient Egypt, where the mummies of the notables often show traces of the drug which could only come from the new world.

[@fredmertz1791]

They attach them to large cargo ships then cut them loose once they have crossed the open ocean.

[@seandelaney1700]

@@thomasjamison2050 You said what? Phoenicians are known to have crossed the Atlantic? I'm a sailor and I don't recall learning that one although I believe they were assumed to be capable sailors. Still, it's a lot different than bopping around the Med, although the trade winds would surely help.

[@roberthawxhurst3717]

@@fredmertz1791 LOL simply get a 40ft container out to sea, then tie it underwater to a vessel with the strength/size to tow it. Then HTF anyone could ever get it up/on a vessel at sea.............and then still get it ashore....

[@ChrisCoombes]

I’ve heard submersible containers of drugs are attached/connected to larger ships to take them across the open ocean, then released near the destination. Also interesting if we’re getting to the stage of autonomous drone subs that can do the job completely independently.

[@jamesricker3997]

Those things will fall out of favor fast once one gets hacked

[@DEADB33F]

@@jamesricker3997 It wouldn't be hackable though, as it wouldn't need any kind of radio link They'd tell it the desired destination and set it off, it sails there completely autonomously underwater (bar an air intake a foot or two above the surface with a GPS antenna on top). Then you'd just need some guys to hang around at the destination. When they see the sub pop up they go unload then scuttle it.

[@Pierce1996h]

Somehow I doubt that. There's too much that could go wrong and they'd want a human on board to save their cargo. Human lives are a lot cheaper than the load of drugs to these people so they wouldn't lose sleep over a couple people each sub. Also having a fully autonomous sub is insane. China, Russia, and the us don't even have this for anything other than limited tests. No one even has real self driving cars yet they aren't going to risk an entire submarine that shit is expensive

[@Zt3v3]

It's open water, just throw in some waypoints and bam. You or I could do it with a model boat today, it's not complicated.

[@ycplum7062]

@@Pierce1996h In theory, for a simple Point A to B mission, an autonomous sub is ideal. The problem is that such a sub cannot account for water currents that would pull them off course. They cannot course correct without surfacing to check the GPS. Of course, it could be possible to program a sub to do that at night for a few minutes. It may also need a weak pinger once it reaches its destination for recovery. I would program it to ping once for about 10 minutes at set times. A continuous ping may attract unwanted attention.

[@boomer150]

My great uncle was a submariner, when he told us stories about his time on subs he had a line he liked to use. "Anybody can build a submarine that sinks, the hard part is making one that stops sinking before it implodes."

[@triangulum8869]

Recent events come to mind

[@chrisclarke7828]

@@triangulum8869 l also came from a long line of seamen

[@scott4825]

My recollection is that back around the mid 1980's they found a towable submersible in the waters off South Fl. The idea was that it would be towed from your go fast type boat, and if law enforcement approached, you release it letting it sink to the bottom, and let them spend all the time they want inspecting your boat. They were apparently done using it (probably was used for a few years), and had made all the money they needed/wanter and then discarded it. Really hammered home how badly we were losing the drug war.

[@jebise1126]

they towed it by fishing boats. there was video of inventor talking about it too. first cartels were not interested in his idea but only pick it up later - guess they didnt want to pay him for rights

[@AdminAbuse]

We?

[@scott4825]

@@AdminAbuse "we" ... The United States (I didn't support it).

[@DeathToCapitalists]

The CIA helping smuggle drugs might also have a part in that

[@winslowwidd79]

​@Clippidyclappidy I like how almost no mainstream media cover this enough. If you want to know why gangs have got so much power and political influence, they are all Government slush funds willing or not, for them to have lots of capital not tied to them.

[@ChristnThms]

I would guess that, if they're willing to reuse them, the snorkel type would quickly rise to preeminence. With an appropriate paint scheme, and a 2m snorkel mast, one of these vessels could be both fast and reliable without dealing with most of the problems of a true submersible. A smallish gen-set as a power source, with a modest sized battery pack would provide a decent sprint capability when needed and nearly silent operation when needed as well. This basic layout was used for the WW1 U-boats, though they were capable of true submersible operation. Combine the relatively simple drive train and construction with some creative navigation, and these snorkel subs would be nearly risk free, as long as you didn't drive them through major storms.

[@ChristnThms]

@El Sucio Federali maybe... or maybe those crude ones are the ones we know about because they fail. Think about it. A successful submarine, by definition, remains a secret. Investing $50k to build a piece of junk, that works once (at best), or investing $500k in a slightly better design that can make the trip dozens of times, reliably. We're talking about people with with really d÷p pockets, who have beat every version of deterrence and interdiction we've tried. To assume that they can't or won't do better is almost assuredly wrong.

[@chrisk1944]

@@ChristnThms Survivorship bias.

[@cesaravegah3787]

A boat exactly as the one you are describing was captured recently, another even more sophisticated design was found on a wharehouse thousands of miles from the closest coast, the police theory is that the cartel was training their men on it's construction or disassemble it for transport to the sea later, anyways the cartels are only a few steps away of build actual transport subs.

[@RyTrapp0]

@@chrisk1944 More like a complete lack of necessary data combined with basic logical thought - if these vessels were so unsuccessful, you really think they'd still be trying to use them? They're still being found with some level of regularity to suggest they aren't disappearing any time soon. And it's a fact that, no matter how "junk" or whatever you think these may be, they aren't cheap to build, and the cargo they're risking in them isn't exactly cheap either. The stuff is still being smuggled past border checkpoints, docks, the TSA, and via every other mode of transport - it's not like they don't know what they're doing.

[@chrisk1944]

@@RyTrapp0 I made no implication that they were junk or ineffective; much to the contrary. Survivorship bias gives the impression that they're being caught, and are ineffective, while in reality, mostly the poorer-quality ones are caught, skewing our bias, while the advanced subs likely make hundreds of successful trips, without being caught. Thanks to the Southern Strategy and the War on Drugs, this will continue, just as the prohibition brought us bootleggers, fast boats and fast cars.

[@mrbig4532]

In the early 1990’s a Russian gangster made a contact with a major drug dealer who had purchased weapons from the Russian who was ex USSR military, the drug dealer was surprised how this Russian could get his hands on any type of weapon he has ever requested, he wanted handheld surface to air missiles and within 3 days was told to have 200,000 dollars because he was having his Soviet version of the stinger missile delivered to his warehouse . The drug dealer was so impressed that he asked the Russian if you could get a submarine thinking he was going to be laughed at but the Russian got in touch with the drug dealer a few days later and asked if he wants the sub with or with out the sub launched missiles. The DEA had a informer in this drug gang who have every one up but it makes you think how many sales of weapons have gone thru where there were no informers

[@tinman362]

Makes me wonder where we would be at if the government had never started the drug war.

[@rzr2ffe325]

Strela

[@mrbig4532]

@@rzr2ffe325 what does that mean ?

[@mrbig4532]

@@rzr2ffe325 oh okay the shoulder fired surface to air missile , thanks I didn’t know at first if your reply was a real word or one that was made up for texting but I looked it up and saw the picture of the weapon. It looks smaller than a stinger but it’s hard to tell by looking at a picture on my iPhone. It wouldn’t surprise me if one of the two countries stole the technology and copied it with some minor changes so that they can claim it’s different then the original one , I mean we did to each other for almost half of a century.

[@sheddddnohoa]

Pavel

[@evanlabrant5448]

"Narco Submarines: What You Need To Know" Me, a grad student studying chloroplasts: "I need to know everything there is to know."

[@dieselscience]

I just finished engineering grad school this month. Those rafts/small craft need a small launcher that throws nets, ropes, cables or other donnage along the spine of the subs in order to foul the prop and stop them.

[@hojoinhisarcher]

I am a potter doing glaze research.Ya right.I console myself that I have gotten away from the minutiae of ww2 Nazi top officers.

[@steveredacted1394]

@@dieselscience Or just repurpose some old whaling harpoon guns

[@jaex9617]

It's always good to have a backup plan.

[@evanlabrant5448]

@@jaex9617 I'm up to my eyeballs in backup plans at this point lol

[@QZip]

I find it crazy that such a complex machine can be disposable. Goes to show how much money the narcos make off of a single shipment.

[@jebise1126]

its really not complex...

[@andvil01]

The ships going from Sweden to China and back in the 18th century were profitable by one trip. If it was able to do two trips it was a bonus. Or they just scraped the hull and took what could be used for another ship. Today people are calculating the economics of a vessel. During the pandemic they scrapped fully working cruise ships. No need to keep an "old" ship without income. Scrap it, save the money and when customers return, build a modern one that earns you more money in the long game. A vessel today is old when 20 years. Technology, engines, computers, controll systems are just out of date. Its cheaper to build a new vessel from scratch than fully restore the old one. And the hull materials have been bent in the waves all these years. No reason to invest alot on risk of hidden defects. So you sell it off to someone in like Africa or just scrap it past 30 years. There are exceptions, but vessels are a wear and tear product with no sentimental value. Both for criminals and legit shipping companys.

[@oafhauohguoihgakds5151]

I was thinking of starting my own coast guard, so this video is really helpful. Thank you!

[@roglar]

Your in depth knowledge of the topic is first class but I most also give feed back that you have a really good narrative voice as well.

[@HISuttonCovertShores]

Wow, thanks

[@DavidGarcia-oi5nt]

Just needs a better mic

[@ericferguson9989]

Not into drugs at all, but I always wanted to build my own sub. The Confederate Navy built similar vessels, called Davids (as in David and Goliath). They ran just awash of the surface, being steam driven and armed with a spar torpedo. Then there was the HL Hunley, a true submarine that sunk the USS Husatonic.

[@jeffbybee5207]

@eric Ferguson .beyond the small 30 foot davids there is also photo of larger 120 foot captured at end of war and towed north in federal navy yard. Also there is a bare possibility. That there was a sub at mobile bay my hunch is it sunk the uss tecumseh not a mine. But after the fort fell in Aug 64 the city remained In Southern hands and report was the sub powered by an electric pile ran the blockade severL times

[@ericferguson9989]

@@jeffbybee5207 See? That's why we have the Internet. I need to do some more reading. Thanks for putting me on to this.

[@ThomasWLalor]

@@ericferguson9989 also remember it's the Internet. They can't post anything that isn't exactly true! (lol)

[@pilgrim....]

@@ThomasWLalor Like the photo in this video 2.14 ?

[@taserrr]

That's nice but I think a cocaine habit might be cheaper ;)

[@seandelaney1700]

I've been fascinated with these since I came up with the idea as a boy. I'm surprised to know you have a database of 200 encounters. Very impressive, I appreciate you covering it.

[@ZZ_Trop]

God bless brilliant men like yourself 👏. This is excatly what I was looking for after watching a short documentary. The amount of research you've done, someone owes you some money!

[@mrben6573]

I wouldn't be surprised if there were a great many secret cargo submarines in operation around the world. The first dedicated cargo submarines were in WWI, dubbed "Merchant U-Boats". The idea was they'd submerge to get past the British blockade, cross the Atlantic, load up with much needed high value cargo in the USA, then return. This was back before the USA entered the war. Ever since I read a book about them I wondered why they weren't more common, but in reality, maybe they are. For instance, we know that Iran is resupplying the Houthis in Yemen with ballistic missile components and all sorts of stuff. How? If they just put it on a coaster and sent it over it would likely get interdicted. So maybe Iran has a fleet of merchant submarines. It also seems like something the USA might like to have. Like what if the USA wanted to deliver a huge batch of equipment for Taiwan's new indigenous submarine program without China ever figuring it out? It might be handy to have a merchant submarine to make very large clandestine deliveries.

[@DingleFlop]

Just because the military isn't fully interested in showing their exact capabilities by stopping every single drug submarine that comes in range of their SONAR, I'm almost certain that the Navy detects more of these than the Coast Guard is informed about to interdict.

[@ErichZornerzfun]

In the Taiwan example it would probably be easier just use an existing sub for a one off mission. That said many babies do have things like midget subs for deploying and retrieving special ops personal. I could definitely see a niche for a weapon smuggler sub.

[@matthewmillar3804]

The CIA wants to know your location. 😋

[@System0Error0Message]

check out japan's i-500 submarines that were huge and carried 3 seaplanes as part of their weapons. They did slip by and attack the US but were too few in number to make a dent as only 3 planes carrying a bit of bombs doesn't do much.

[@bobsagget823]

@@System0Error0Message wrong

[@menschmenschson7504]

Best thing about KZbin is how there is a niche sector for any topic imaginable. I was wondering when I’d stumble onto a channel completely devoted to submarines 😂😅😂 keep up the great work it’s clear you have a passion for this and really know your stuff! 👍

[@HISuttonCovertShores]

Wow, thank you!

[@bomberaustychunksbruv4119]

Apart from the fact they are used to smuggle drugs - I find these fascinating, as I would love to build a submarine, the ingenuity is clearly coming from someone who maybe has experience with subs. Even the places they are put together is amazing really given the harsh jungle. Be amazing if someone could infiltrate a sub getting built somehow, difficult and dengerous as it would be. I don't have the money or the time though, sadly.

[@iambadatcomingupwithcomeba2060]

Assuming a sub is a million dollars and 500 people split the price it’s only 2000 dollars each which is a lot but you also get a submarine and you need a crew of 3 people and people go on the submarine daily it will only take 23 days for everyone to get a turn on the submarine but if everyone’s turn is only three hours and there are only nine hours a day it gets used then it’s only a week

[@wmeuse2375]

​@@iambadatcomingupwithcomeba2060so a sub time share then?

[@LostAnFound]

The lack of FSV interdiction while underway is very disturbing from a military perspective. If the narco-cartels can get tons of contraband through US sonar arrays, it seems probable that an enemy nation could move a nuclear device within range of a US city. Unless: FSVs stop short of waters defended by the US Navy or FSVs have been secretly prosecuted and destroyed. The latter seems possible because the Navy would not want to reveal the extent of their detection capabilities, and the Navy blows all kinds of stuff up in the name of removing hazards to safe navigation. Who knows?

[@pcb8059]

A few years ago there was a drunk russian general bragging about underwater nuke drones sitting along the usa coast

[@infernaldaedra]

I do. What keeps us truly safe is that their are already nuclear subs scattered across the globe ready to dish out destruction to any part of the world that would even consider attacking a US city. Ever seen a Poseidon class?

[@pcb8059]

@@infernaldaedra Yes, Russia knows they only win if they Strike First, so they spend a lot of resources on stuff like stealth nuke drones hiding along the US coast. Apparently they can sit still and hide for indefinite amounts of time, or change postions, etc. They have a doctrine or theory about radioactive tidal waves contaminating the coastline, while some thinktanks say it wont really work

[@esathegreat]

maybe they can detect them but keep it secret it's not their job to hunt down narcos

[@AccessAccess]

Another option is that they already pay the navy and coast guard to look the other way. If one can afford to build and operate a full submersible, they may also have enough to pay for "protection".

[@Sky_Burger88]

As a submarine and submersible enthusiast, I really enjoyed your thorough analysis of the Narco sub. This is an excellent video

[@Ruiluth]

Dude. This is incredible. The military needs to get in touch with these people and make them a better offer.

[@michael-sherwood]

i actually really enjoyed this thank you, quite often with more plain and informative types of videos like this it is easy to loose focus on and end up either falling asleep or clicking on something else but this had my full attention from start to finish. 👌

[@HISuttonCovertShores]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@droningwesternaustralia]

Years ago an ex Royal Australian Navy submarine was advertised of Ebay for sale. At the end of the bidding the Government refused to allow the sale as there was rumours that it had been brought by a drug cartel. This submarine was the old Oberon Class Submarine

[@briananthony4044]

Even older Russian Whisky class submarines are occasionally for sale.

[@planegaper]

Don't think even the Cartels could run an O boat, they would surely get themselves killed, too complicated to run for an un trained crew. May do something interesting with the hull mind you. Other thing is , the batteries would be beyond expensive, to maintain or replace. Without a trained crew it would be a lot of useless metal, they most likely wanted the steel, or parts..

[@BraindeadCRY]

@@planegaper Honestly, I think they could run a sub. Trained crew can be bought, and the cartels have a lot of funds. But I dont think its in their interest to do so. Cartels function by the "not great but good enough, and a lot of it" tactic. Rather than putting all their eggs in one really expensive basket they simply send a dozen smaller and much much cheaper vessels. The coast guard will stop some of them but never all. A proper sub would carry a lot more but would also attract serious attention from the navy, not just the coast guard. And if it gets interdicted thats a huge set back. Not really worth it.

[@planegaper]

@@BraindeadCRY that too, Sosus knows what a O boat sounds like, so they would get pinched eventually, that's too big a loss.. Might be worth some tech in the boat or parts if they get a good price, buy these fiberglass low viz things serve them much better , and are disposable. tow the thing across the Atlantic, or deck strap it and pull into US waters with it is the best way.. My guess is they run beside a large vessel to Lee, so storms don't get em, then detach and run the final 100 miles or so solo to do the drop off.. then scuttle it

[@smeggerknee2448]

moronic strategy by govt. better to win the bid.....modify the vessel to track it using a hidden transponder.....then to resell it. Every time it goes to sea....track it....and catch everybody on it... Naturally you pass on that they "were betrayed by their own team" repeatedly. Then...resell the vessel. .....Surely it would be smarter to attach a cable/winch to the bottom of a large ship....and use a powerless container with negative buoyancy and a radio contolled air bag for refloating it.... rather than having a sub which can be spotted from its WAKE from anybody above.

[@dinbee4611]

The early narco subs were easily detected, although low profile, their signature can still be identified by radar and other surveillance equipment even during night time especially by air. But it has been difficult to catch them all lately as drug smugglers have been attempting to launch multi subs that even if one or two are caught, many can still get passed. Each sub they say can cost up to a million but that's nothing if one gets through to the US as the content will be worth several millions in drug sales for the cartel. If the smugglers are caught, they simply dump the cargo and scuttle the vessel albeit some unsuccessful. I was about to mention had you not shown that the last part of this video, that what the drug criminals are doing now is developing a more advanced and sophisticated sub design that is almost completely submersible and soon they will also be undetectable once they keep on improving on their development. That's their narco dollars at work.

[@cesaravegah3787]

Newer models are being built with the help of actual russian naval engineers, yeah, there is seriously advanced technolgy we are talking here.

[@cesaravegah3787]

@John Smith The average cost of a modern torpedo is well over hundrends of thousands of dollars, the equipment and training to efectively use it costs many millions and on the remote case that the narcs manage to sink a warship or even a humble coast guard patrol boat I friggin guarantee that a multinational force will obliterate the entire drug cartel, no, I don't think that there is narcs that rich, agressive and stupid to do that.

[@828enigma6]

No no no. Thats OUR narco dollars a work. If they were no demand, there'd be no money to fund these things.

[@sclarin2]

@@828enigma6 THANK YOU! These guys are simply supplying a product with very high demand and not for criminals but for every day people you pass on the street and who look like normal family folks. These guys are only criminals because the USA made them so and we waste untold millions fighting these guys though it will never ever stop or even slow down. The border cops and coast guard act like big cheese when they bust one of these shipments but it makes no difference in the grand scheme when millions of tons still get through these guys are just making money for their agencies sometimes even reselling the drugs to cartels. It's a big scam that the American people pay huge amounts of money for and does us NO GOOD. What if we spent that money on infrastructure improvements that we desperately need instead of letting the coast guard play cops and robbers

[@simethigsomethingidfk]

@John Smith Do you have any idea what you are talking about? Saying they should get torpedoes is like saying they should get Abrams to ram through the border checkpoints. Sure *maybe* they would be able to buy one or two but they would definitely not have the years worth of training to know how to use it, or the many millions of dollars to spend on maintaining it and making it actually work. And even if they did all they would do is paint a giant target on their back. So what they manage to sink a single patrol vessel? Okay now a destroyer gets sent out knowing exactly where they are and now they are fucked. And maybe *maybe* they have enough torpedoes to sink a destroyer. Well id love to see how they face against a jet dropping thousands of pounds of bombs above them. unless you are suggesting they should pull 6 trillion dollars out of their ass to build a navy on par with America.and another few trillion for a air force. They might be dumb violent, and rich. But they arent so dumb, violent and rich to go picking a fight with the biggest navy in the world.

[@Frenchylikeshikes]

The ingenuity of those narcos is totally endless. Frankly, it is even impressive what they manage to create. Never heard of those submarines before in my life.

[@RonaldTrumpOfficial]

I’ve got a Colombian friend. I told him about this video and he told me the whole process of making it. Amazing!

[@paegr]

Interesting to see a bunch of submarine videos showing up in my Recommended after the Oceangate incident

[@jlawsl]

I saw about 30+ of these things lined up on the shore of a Honduran naval base that we travelled to on an anti drug opperation. They seem either purpose built or weighed down, water tight existing boats for the most part, of varying sizes. It is amazing the lengths people will go for money.

[@Humanaut.]

That one of these crossed the atlantic is actually really impressive.

[@Arc0w]

I don't know why, but the guy at 4:48 feels like the biggest badass to me, jumping on a moving vessel, so much seawater crushing over it and he just walks and knocks the shit out of that door. What a story to tell at the dinner table.

[@KonradvonHotzendorf]

Ready to go when the light turns green 🦅

[@justinblin]

Thanks for the tips! I was thinking about making my own narco subs but I didn’t know where to start, I’ll make sure to follow your recommendations

[@rrobb9853]

This is a fascinating subject. It is interesting to think about who is making the vessels; who designs them? Are designs shared in some way? How does one approach a qualified designer and say, 'I'd like you to design a narcotic - carrying vessel?'

[@ZIGZAG12345]

Those cartels have literally SO much money they can pretty much get "someone" to do anything they want! Same reason some of them occasionally will hire ex-special forces guys to do their bidding, or have former intel types on their payroll, they can AFFORD such lavish perks! (granted highly trained mercenaries and "former intel types" are more likely to have zero qualms about accepting money from those sources than a submarine assembly plant, but again, the cartels can pay for ANYTHING they need, tasking a person, or paying someone like a former-intel person to find a facility which accepts cash payments for submarines means they will indeed end up finding exactly what they need!) If they're REALLY struggling they could probably send a bunch of nasty men with guns to qualified person's house and kidnap them/use their family as leverage to get what they want. But usually the lure of big money is strong enough that *SOMEONE* will take them up on it.

[@billwhoever2830]

Why wouldnt they? They wouldnt go to a legit military sub company, you can simply pay a few engineers and ask them to build you the boat.

[@PHOBOS1708]

@Steven Strain are you sure about the"often"?

[@Krzemieniewski1]

@@PHOBOS1708 there is a lot of cocke in Europe so I dont think its often. I think its single digit %

[@happilyham6769]

Drug Lord probably goes to the guy and says something like, "I know where you live, I know where your kids go to school. You will build me a sub, you will tell no one, and you will be paid well."

[@mikhailv67tv]

Totally fascinating stuff. A movie about a run from sth America to Spain would be thrilling. A year later I can say I’ve watched a series drama about the first run and it was thrilling. The crew were unbelievably brave

[@tilmanstahlecker8392]

whats the drama called?

[@mikhailv67tv]

@@tilmanstahlecker8392 Operation Black Tide. It’s Spanish I watched it on SBS Australia

[@twmpuketa]

If you would like to come check some out come to puerto golfito in costa rica. They have 3 or 4 by the coast guard facilities. They are also abandoned in punta burica where they've been offloaded to smaller pangas. A friend towed one to his beach property to use for the fiberglass panels. To build other boats for fishing. Quite interesting the whole smuggling network.

[@anthonyfaye3344]

I did my last counter-narcotics deployment (Crack-Pac) in 2004. I just missed the narco-sub craze. All my chases and busts were open hull panga and speedboat style. In a helicopter, chasing a maneuvering speedboat, throwing out warning shots, that's a fun flight.

[@hondahirny]

Love the mission name. Very practical. They should start borrowing ideas from SNL. You can have eMeth, Heroin AM, and Cocaine PM as the mission names 😂

[@montinaladine3264]

Really excellent video! Easily understood the narration and didn't speak too fast or clumsily and above all, no stupid distracting music that many video makers use to try and create a mood or to hype up their creation.

[@joem1309]

I got your book a while back after seeing it referenced on the narcofootage subreddit, this is extremely interesting stuff. I’m so glad someone is documenting it all. Great work!

[@BartJBols]

These are simply delightful little machines, absolutely amazing.

[@devondetroit2529]

Imagine the balls you would need to get into one of these ‘subs’ and sail it across the Atlantic with a ton of cocaine on it. Just insane on so many levels

[@NeilBooth]

Yeh but keep in mind, the people who work for drug lords probably don't have many better options.

[@chesterchub7503]

You got that right. It’s called the lust of money.

[@gangleweed]

@@chesterchub7503 Yeah, imagine what a bank manager would say if you suddenly deposited a million in your account and you were out of work.

[@zadzwon112]

@@gangleweed Now go figure origins of Bitcoin...

[@ronroberts110]

Imagine "desperate and comprehensive poverty" you would need to get into....

[@VashStarwind]

Imagine how many of these that have gone down. You just know there has been at least a few. Man super scary thought..

[@5lowburner]

One of the most interesting KZbin videos I’ve seen in ages. Well done!

[@johnmoore8599]

Nice summary! Did not know they were getting so good they were building the equivalent of WWII U-boats with schorkels.

[@simeondunev4890]

I wouldn't say they are anywhere near equivalent of ww2 U-boats ,but with the resourses they have its amazing.

[@johnmoore8599]

@@simeondunev4890 I was not saying they were building fully capable subs ( and the video stressed that too ), but schorkel tech was late war tech to allow subs to recharge their batteries while submerged or run under diesel power while submerged to evade radar. It is a significant advance for narco subs to evade detection. If they can afford to build a full submersible with a schorkel, detection is even harder without good sonar or sonar sensors due to wave noise.

[@kirkjones9639]

There is a fairly large smuggling operation, going on the West side of South and Central America. Elements of their surface fleet gets nabbed, occasionally. The semi submersible canoe club, has been very successful, so far. Perhaps the Peruvians are better at it.

[@hondahirny]

Funny how “semi submersible canoe club” sound like something you’d sign the kids up for 😂 “Hey little Jonny… Wanna drive a boat!?” 😂😂😂

[@TheKulu42]

The latter narco subs remind me of U-boats from World War I; inexpensive, expendable versions of them. While those German subs were certainly more capable, I don't think they were true submarines, either. I never realized how many types of narco subs existed until now. Great work!

[@martinmeadows701]

AaaaaaaAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[@sirwhitemeat9785]

are you completely brain dead? U-boats can dive to insane depths ofcourse they are submarines germans had more advanced subs then allies.

[@jebise1126]

that german not true sub could dive 200 metes deep...

[@glenjohnson9302]

Semi-Submersibles are cool. In collage way back in the 90's I drew one up but as a tri hull and a flat "lounge deck" spread across all 3. It was just a fun design exercise so never went past sketches and presented in a brainstorming group we had with professors and students in an open discussion. Lots of fun and educational.

[@grievus7764]

I've really appreciated all of the work you have done on the topic of Narco Subs. Bravo Zulu.

[@davidleadford6511]

As a retired Coastie , I often wondered how long it would be before they started using subs.

[@fresh_dood]

Very fascinating. FSV is no small feat, which makes me wonder how life support is handled. Do they have oxygen bleed valves and carbon scrubbers? I never knew they had progressed to actual submersibles but it's cool to watch the progression of the cartel naval technology, especially since the snorkel boat at the end looks so much like the Holland.

[@cpy]

The number of people dying in these must be insane

[@geoffreylotz3661]

A very interesting video, thanks. I was briefly entangled with an outfit that I suspect were building or looking to build something like one of these some years ago....a long story but not as exciting as one anticipates it might be at the outset. I quickly realised this wasn't going to be a job I would ever be able to resign from, so I bailed and dodged my way out of it before I saw or knew too much, or met anyone of importance.

[@victoryfirst2878]

This has to be the best video on the subject matter PERIOD. Very nice work fella for sure.

[@stonegiant4]

Fascinating. It's always amazing what innovations that black market actors can come up with.

[@PebelWasTaken]

Could you talk about smuggling vessels and submarines that operate through the black sea?

[@saml7610]

That would be very interesting. I don't know how much Mr. Sutton knows about this, since there seems to be a lack of writing on this topic on his website, but as a topic for possible future videos, I think that's a fantastic idea. I'd very much like to know more about this, since only a moment ago, I did not realize there were smuggling vessels going about their business in the black sea.

[@fabiovezzari2895]

Never heard about it, what does get smuggled?

[@romanchomenko2912]

The Turks run that but not Colombian drugs but heroin.

[@-DEATHSTROKE]

Still safer than oceangate

[@drslime7]

Was looking for a comment like this

[@ErickPerez-e9n]

😂😂

[@carloslopera3634]

😂😂😂😂

[@savagecub]

I would build a snorkel sub with a snorkel that was painted like a marker buoy. Excellent cutaway diagrams !

[@fredford7642]

Very educational video! I never thought for a moment, that the drug business has evolved so much.

[@davefellhoelter1343]

WoW! you just told me what a "Narco" Sub was! I never thought about it in detail, but I knew what I KNOW!

[@colbyferro8617]

Sub Brief recommended your channel and I subscribed because you have great content!

[@HISuttonCovertShores]

Thanks for the sub-sub!

[@Cartoonman154]

I'm glad he recommended this channel.

[@thepewplace1370]

same

[@boblawblaw892]

Some of these would make good stealth autonomous torpedo boat designs.

[@mikesanders4012]

A smarter design would be a torpedo submerged in tow of a legal fishing vessel. Stop to be boarded, it sinks straight below the fishing boat, undetected. Underway, trim planes bring it back up to a plane.

[@Immopimmo]

The daring and ingenuity of smugglers never ceases to amaze me.

[@PetervanderKruys]

Cool video, I learned a lot! That doesn’t happen very often, thank you for that.

[@Bryan-cs9to]

I didn't know they are crossing the Atlantic Ocean in these that'c crazy!

[@dananorth895]

Never to be seen again.

[@MrAnonymous878]

i don't think i really "need" to know this subject but it's a very interesting one nontheless

[@notaspy1227]

Narco Subs> Ocean Gate Subs.

[@OscarScheepstra_Artemis_]

This is so interesting. They must have some very talented engineers and builders to create those subs, especially in such basic docks.

[@bio-garbage]

With that money u can afford any kind of scientists and engineers.

[@AnimeSunglasses]

I love how Sutton has mastered the use of the shitpost thumbnail and intro and put it to genuinely educational use.

[@DavieTait]

There seem to be a few home built submarines in private hands in Europe just now ( well one less since that madman from Denmark murdered a journalist on his one and scuttled it - its been scrapped as fas as I know ) with one built in Germany that has a diver lockout chamber built in. If civilians can build these then we have to think that Navies could have them as well ( I know the RN is getting a large AUV type sub for study shortly ) , is there any OSINT on the Western Navies small manned/unmanned subs out there that is recent enough for a video ??

[@typicalfella2758]

ah yes, a good video material to watch at 3 am

[@andrerousseau5730]

Great video. Could you detail how these subs would have been de-vanned at the destination end, they surely wouldn't transfer the cargo mid-ocean? Also, what role was played by Russian ex-submarine engineers in designing the fully submersible variants?

[@HISuttonCovertShores]

Two very quick answers. Yes in many cases I think that they do transship mid ocean, as crazy as that might seem Only one design can really be tied to Russian engineers and that was 20 years ago. And others are nothing like that one. So in general, no real influence

[@hallo7286]

this is exactly the video i was looking for 👍🏼

[@salvatoreshiggerino6810]

The sheer volume of the living space of the fully submersible ones seem pretty luxurious for what it is. Imagine how much lead ballast they're just throwing away.

[@jenniferstewarts4851]

out of curiosity, is there a separate cat for towed subs? Subs that are towed by a another ship, and once they are close to their destination cut loose? some may be unpowered completely and are dropped, and recovered by divers a the target area... others may have power but only good for a few hours, enough to get the sub the last few miles to a drop off point.

[@HISuttonCovertShores]

Yes, you are describing a few variations which exit. Some of the fully submersible vessels (FSVs) are towed most of their way. And if uncrewed, it is termed a towed-narco torpedo.

[@jenniferstewarts4851]

@@HISuttonCovertShores thats what i was wondering. reason being, full submersible subs would require huge battery stores and would generally only have a short range, unless they were going to spend millions on lifo batteries. so the most likely way to get them any distances is to tow them.. Calling the unmaned versions torpedoes i hadn't heard of... but sort of fits. Thanks.

[@agenericaccount3935]

@@HISuttonCovertShores “Narco Torpedo” sounds like a great band name.

[@bobthompson4319]

@@HISuttonCovertShores are there any diesel electric fsv yet? or probably we just haven't caught any?

[@qq84]

@@bobthompson4319 the electric fsv have a diesel.

[@CyberKnightX21]

I was talking with friends about an interdiction they did and while it says it's not as likely that they'll scuttle the boats anymore, they were definitely trying it during theirs. They tried to set the thing on fire and ended up having issues because all the sailors on the interdicting ship that were topside were getting exposed to all the burning drugs. They had to minimize the amount that were topside and couldn't do drug tests for a while.

[@stewartbeche686]

F cfzs 😅o

[@CrucialFlowResearch]

Or maybe the sailors interdicted the drugs and kept them as souvenir, used the fire as excuse to not get drug tested 😂

[@carlosandleon]

If drugs were legal we would never have seen this ingenuity.

[@Ion115]

If drugs were legal, drug cartels won't exist Drug addicts will simply just die Normal people wouldn't buy drugs - Means cartels will have nobody to sell them to

[@dennistate5953]

Interesting take on the tech.

[@tabula_rosa]

something you didn't note; you mentioned that these subs get scuttled at their destination, but the last category of sub having a highly developed hatch instead of simply being welded shut implies those vessels are re-used

[@geshscale6068]

The word submarine means under water. anything that is intended to go fully underwater, whether that's when a large wave hits, or to actually dive is a submarine. submersible is to submerge or operate while submerged which means it has to be able to go down. These narco subs were commonly unable to go down, and we therefore a submarine boat, vs a submersible. tldr: He is absolutely right, i was just explaining the difference in more detail.

[@CyberSystemOverload]

Amazing machines, well done their designers and engineers. To think these were created in the jungle. Excellent video thank you. Subbed! The hopeless "war on drugs" chugs on uselessly.

[@dansands8140]

Ask Qing Dynasty China what happens when you don't at least make the narcos put in some effort.

[@chamonix4658]

over 50 years into this stupid fucking war and people still think drugs isnt winning. when will the insanity end

[@StealthyDead]

"What you need to know." Would love if this was a 10 second black screen because the average person doesn't need to know a single thing about NARCO SUBMARINES

[@HISuttonCovertShores]

My audience are above average

[@BusterBuizel]

I wonder how they'd be useful in a low intensity conflict and what role they could play instead of transporting cargo. Could they be used by guerilla elements to attack naval vessels or would their design only be useful for covert supplying of guerilla elements?

[@hint0122]

I'd say a use is suicide bomb. The navy is scared of small craft like this

[@greazypozer]

you could probably deploy explosives from the craft or even just use it as a platform to shoot from, maybe use the non fully submersible ones to attach explosives to vulnerable parts of the hull

[@WhatIsLove170]

Likely ineffective in attack roles, but resupply roles might work. If used in attack roles, they will be spotted for sure, and since they are a submarine, there will no doubts that it is a hostile vessel and so sunk straight away since it would likely be a suicide bomber. In this case, a normal civilian available vessel would make the most sense as any relevant navy might be uncertain if it is civilian or hostile. I would draw on the USS Cole bombing as inspiration for a guerrilla group wanting some kind of ability to strike naval vessels.

[@DROIDFARM]

All of your books seem to be out of print. Bummer... Great video, keep them coming!

[@STB-jh7od]

The one-way only is in dispute as a couple have been found with large zinc bar installed, which serves purpose of preventing rust over a significant period of time.

[@DingleFlop]

Sacrificial Anodes prevent galvanic coupling corrosion when metal vessels are put to sea. This video was mainly talking about vessels constructed of fiberglass and marine ply.

[@guilhermecampello3345]

Hi good content as always

[@Carbon_Based_Life_Form]

These narco subs are probably better designed and functional than the homemade ocean gate sub

[@askme5805]

Submarines with SLBMs for mass destructions are allowed. Submarines with coke for mass joy/fun are banned.

[@annelarrybrunelle3570]

2 things come to mind. 1. Think of model R/C airplanes and boats - essentially drones. If you don't need crew, you save weight and also don't need air, especially if you're electric. If you can find even comparatively crude inertial navigation devices, you could computer control such a vessel to need little or no radio control. And you could (nasty, fer sure) arrange to sink it directly if boarded. 2. U S Navy or Coast Guard can no doubt detect such things and do with/against them. Probably best to see who receives and where and how. And that's just a few minutes of my uninformed imagination. Womder what smart people can think up.

[@samanthaqiu3416]

looking forward for those followups! beautiful video

[@zendonbuilds948]

I used to think narco subs were based on WW2 mini subs like Japanese kaitens or Italian maiales. Turns out they're nothing like them. The first 4 types in this video function more like monitors than like subs.

[@KertaDrake]

When criminal empires are using hardware that you'd only expect to see in the hands of military, you know a problem has gotten out of hand.

[@sclarin2]

Kinda been that way for a long time bud. The problem is that they are trying to win an unwinnable conflict that can only escalate. The American demand for cocaine is extremely high and somebody is going to fulfill Americas demands. With billions of dollars at stake there will always be lots of people willing to take the risk even if it means death.

[@AtreVire]

When the CIA arms them, its not really all that surprising

[@kostasprince6725]

30 years later: Cartel space shuttles : the 9 types

[@WhatALoadOfTosca]

Odd recommendation from Google there for me, but this was fascinating. Thank you.

[@mycammedia]

Thanks a lot for your channel in general. I was fascinated when I first read about these intrepid explorers a couple of years ago and their daring feats of ingenuity and exploration. All joking aside, I appreciate the detail you go into on your other videos and the information.

[@liamh2001]

That's crazy, I had no idea that such things existed lol. I've very recently gotten a bit of an interest into submarines from playing Uboat and Silent Hunter, so I look forward to hearing more from this channel.

[@cliffcampbell8827]

200 incidents? A thousand?!? Maybe more?!?! I was under the impression that there were only a small handful of them floating around. Those drug runners are busy.

[@ronaldckrausejr7762]

Interesting and also concerning. Based on the presentation, these are used mostly for drugs. What about weapons? What about all kinds of weapons, even the ones which one prefers not to think about?

[@gwydionrusso3206]

Depending on how good your engineer is torpedoes or unguated rockets are not an impossibility

[@skymaster4121]

“Hunt for Coke October” new best movie of the year

[@Defcon666]

Dudes having an aneurysm screaming at a metal sub .😆

[@b.griffin317]

For FSVs: 1. If they are much less detected and harder to build, does this mean they might be re-used? 2. Are they more likely to be used on certain routes over others (i.e. to Europe vs. Mexico)? Obviously both questions are unanswerable given they have only ever been found under construction and never out at sea.

[@the11382]

I also wonder what makes them more profit. If FSVs make more profit I guess the navy needs more sonar.

[@blankblank9042]

I'm interested in methods of detection. How visible are these vessels to RADAR? Does the composition of the vessel help evade detection? How are they interdicted? Visually? Engine noise? What about strategies to avoid detection? Could they submerge during the day, and only move at night? What's the training of the crews like? Do they know anything? Does a good crew reduce the chance of being detected? What percentage of these subs are detected vs. those that are not? Do sub crews communicate with a "home base" of some sort? In general I have a problem believing that they can be detected at all. The oceans are vast and these subs are barely visible? Do any of them have active RADAR, to warn about possible interdiction? Do the crews monitor for law enforcement RADAR? Is there a "main reason" (or reasons) why these ships get discovered? The open cocaine was interesting. You'd think with that much in cargo, the cartels would expect the crews to be 100% alert and not on drugs of any sort.

[@imchris5000]

sonar is what finds these boats they are still very noisy in the water and the united states has listening stations all over

[@dananorth895]

We know who you are. Your curiousity gives you away. We will never give up our secrets.

[@zadzwon112]

@@imchris5000 sonar looks for signatures that are of interest to the navy; narco subs probably have acoustic signature of fishing boat or small motor yacht hence unlikely to draw attention of those who listen

[@imchris5000]

@@zadzwon112 they listen and track them when they start moving for other countries then the ships are sent after them

[@WhatIsLove170]

@@dananorth895 Lmao we got a gangster here.

[@horationelson2440]

Would the actual FSVs still be scuttled after the voyage? I mean, it seems to have much better capabilities than the other types, and I'd assume, based on the necessary resources, they would typically be much more expensive to make. So it just seems a bit odd to me that such a vessel would be destroyed after just one voyage, when these things seem like they could potentially run for years, and seem like they would only be made profitable after multiple uses. The LPV-OM seems like it would be the most cost effective to use though for just a one time use.

[@HISuttonCovertShores]

I would think (and I believe other analysts agree), that yes they are scuttled too. Re profitability, one trip is more than enough

[@yvrelna]

The problem is that if you're going to reuse an FSV, you'll need to pay for fuel for the return trip. Which also means that you need to have an equally valuable cargo for the return trip. And then you need to design the ship to be durable enough for multiple trips. That's a whole level of engineering, investments which would all go to waste if the sub is caught and confiscated. A one time use submarine has the advantage that you can just hide in regular, above the board boats for the return trip. Which comes with much less risks. If you happen to get caught in such ships, you'll likely be charged as just illegal immigrants trying to exit the country, which is just a slap on the wrist compared to smuggling drug into the country.

[@ronroberts110]

@@yvrelna I think the return trip expense is negligible, but...every minute of transport puts the operation in danger. You can threaten the family of a crew-member to maintain loyalty, but there's always the fear of a crew member that doesn't care if his family is killed, and then co-operates with the US...

[@chamonix4658]

drugs on the way there, weapons for the way back

[@moxdownful]

Wow awesome video. Why don't you have more subs? (haha pun intended)) And @ 9:00 you mentioned one crossed the Atlantic. That's admirable!

[@BlueSpades7]

I actually wonder how much sound silencing these makeshift subs actually have, if any? -how well would they pop up on sonar and how deep are they capable of going? Any sort of weapons systems such as torpedos? …and how do their navigation systems work, are they similar to how the US subs operate? …how is damage control if there is a fire onboard or flooding?

[@mikedx2706]

The electric powered ones are probably difficult to detect with sonar.