Jul 29, 2011

Honduran divers removing 5 tons of cocaine from narco-sub

By Michael Winter, USA TODAY
Updated 4h 31m ago

Divers have recovered more than half of the 5 tons of cocaine found in a U.S.-bound narco-sub seized in the Caribbean Sea off Honduras, according to news reports.

The Honduran navy intercepted the vessel two weeks ago off the Mosquito Coast near the Nicaragua border. The crew scuttled the submarine-like vessel, which is in about 50 feet of water. Five men were arrested.

Authorities said that the submersible originated in Colombia and that its cargo was destined for the USA.

The removal operation is expected to be completed by the weekend, a top security official told the Associated Press on Thursday.

It's the second big seizure of cocaine in the Caribbean in the past three weeks. On July 8, the Panamanian navy intercepted a U.S.-flagged vessel in the Atlantic with 3 tons of liquid cocaine. The boat had left Cartagena, on Colombia's Caribbean coast, bound for Honduras.

InSight, which tracks organized crime in the Americas, says Panama alone seized 75 tons of cocaine last year.

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