Drug Cartels Aim to Master the Deep

Colombian drug cartels are increasingly relying on homemade submersibles to transport cocaine, the Washington Post reports, with 13 such vessels seized last year—more than in the previous 14 combined. The vehicles skim just under the waves, nearly invisible to sonar and aircraft. And even enforcement officials have grudging respect for the ingenuity the traffickers show in constructing them.

"What's most striking is the logistical capacity of these criminals to take all this material into the heart of the jungle, including heavy equipment like propulsion gear and generators," says one Colombian naval commander. He also suggests that once seized, the subs should be placed in a museum, as "part of the history of our country." (More submersibles stories.)