In an intense six-week global crackdown, authorities from multiple countries have seized over 225 metric tons of cocaine, uncovering a shocking new drug route stretching from South America to Australia. The Colombian Navy announced the bust on Wednesday, revealing an operation that spanned oceans, rivers, and ports worldwide in October and November.
This enormous effort, part of a global mission called “Orion,” pulled in more than 1,400 tons of illegal drugs, including 128 tons of marijuana. Among the staggering haul was a high-tech, semi-submersible vessel—known as a “narco sub”—carrying five tons of Colombian cocaine en route to Australia. Colombian officials say this vessel is part of a newly discovered Pacific smuggling route that allows traffickers to ferry drugs nearly 10,000 miles without stopping to refuel.
“This might be the largest drug bust in Colombian history,” said Colombian President Gustavo Petro. Authorities estimate the seizure dealt a devastating $8.4 billion blow to drug cartels. But that’s not all—over 400 people were arrested in the operation, which involved the United States, Brazil, Spain, the Netherlands, and many other nations.
The new smuggling route to Australia is raising eyebrows because of how lucrative it is for drug traffickers. A kilogram of cocaine sells for around $240,000 in Australia, a jaw-dropping six times the price in the United States. No wonder cartels are willing to invest in sophisticated vessels like the narco subs. These boats, made of wood and fiberglass, can evade radar and are designed to skim just above the water’s surface. Their engineering is so advanced they can travel from Colombia to Australia without refueling.
“These vessels used to just take drugs out of Colombia and transfer them to larger ships nearby,” a security expert explained. “Now, they’re being built to go all the way across oceans. It’s a huge leap in how cartels operate.”
And it’s not just about the vessels. The operation revealed new alliances between powerful cartels in Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, who are now working with criminal groups in Europe and Oceania. “They’ve evolved into a web of organized crime networks. It’s no longer about one cartel controlling everything—it’s partnerships across the globe,” said a Colombian Navy official.
This isn’t the first time Colombian authorities have intercepted narco subs. In June, they seized two off the Pacific coast carrying nearly five tons of cocaine. Earlier this year, a rescue mission for two missing fishermen led to the discovery of a sub loaded with over four tons of cocaine.
As the world’s top cocaine producer, Colombia continues to battle against this illegal trade. Last year, the country hit a record high for cocaine production and coca leaf cultivation, the plant used to make the drug. Despite these challenges, this latest operation shows that global efforts to disrupt the drug trade are still making waves.
