Drug Smugglers Use Starlink-Equipped Semi-Submersible for First Time, Says Colombian Navy

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📰 Drug Smugglers Use Starlink-Equipped Semi-Submersible for First Time, Says Colombian Navy
📍Cartagena, Colombia

📄 The Colombian Navy has for the first time detected an uncrewed semi-submersible vessel equipped with ‘Starlink’, raising alarms over the use of advanced satellite internet systems in international drug trafficking operations.

In a press conference streamed on YouTube, Admiral Juan Ricardo Rosso of the Colombian Navy confirmed the discovery, stating, “We have confirmed for the first time the presence of a semi-submersible trying to evade surveillance using Starlink.”

Though no narcotics were found on board, authorities believe the vessel was part of a trial run by criminal organizations, testing new navigation and communication capabilities to bypass conventional surveillance systems.

The report was part of Colombia’s broader announcement on the progress of Operation Orion, a multinational strategy aimed at curbing drug trafficking networks.

Local newspaper El Tiempo cited officials who suspect the use of Starlink, a low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite internet service developed by SpaceX, indicates a shift in strategy among traffickers seeking global operational capabilities.

Colombia, along with Peru, remains one of the world’s leading cocaine producers. According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), coca cultivation in Colombia rose by 13% in 2022, reaching 2,300 square kilometers—about 3.8 times the size of Seoul.

Officials say criminal cartels and rebel groups are forcibly expanding coca plantations, often resorting to armed conflict to control trafficking corridors to neighboring countries and global markets.

In November last year, Colombian authorities seized 5 tons of cocaine aboard a similar semi-submersible vessel bound for Australia.

Admiral Rosso emphasized, “Criminal organizations are leveraging new technologies to expand their global footprint. We will conduct a thorough analysis of this vessel and act decisively in our maritime war against narcotics trafficking.”

With Starlink’s accessibility growing worldwide, law enforcement agencies are expected to face greater challenges in tracking remote-controlled or uncrewed drug transports. Anticipate increased collaboration between naval intelligence units and satellite service providers to monitor and disrupt tech-enhanced smuggling routes.

The incident marks a potential technological tipping point in global narcotics trafficking, with cartels now incorporating private satellite communication systems into their maritime operations.

🔗 Reported from Cartagena, Colombia – World News Intelligence & Security Desk

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