The illustration shows the 24m (60ft) semi-submersible ‘snorkel sub’ discovered on 20th Oct 2013 in the jungle on the Ecuador/Colombian border. The design is innovative and unusual, and is one of only two true semi-submersibles captured. The vast majority of “narco subs” are Low Profile Vessels (LPVs) which cannot fully submerge. This boat cannot run fully submerged either and requires the snort mast to be above the surface. The hull is below the surface however and depth and trim can be regulated by flooding seawater into the ballast tanks. It can carry up to 8 tons of cocaine for thousands of miles, making trips from Colombia to Mexico or beyond. (see previous COVERT SHORES article)
Original artwork - CLICK for HIGH-RESOLUTION (3200px) image.

Photos of the boat