Starlink-Guided Unmanned ‘Narco Sub’ Seized by Colombian Navy
It was believed to be the first Starlink-guided minisub captured in the Western Hemisphere.
Starlink: It looks like Starlink is the Internet service provider of choice for one of the most notorious drug cartels in the Western Hemisphere. Last Thursday, the Colombian Navy said it intercepted three months ago its first unmanned long-distance “Narco Sub” with a Starlink dish planted topside to direct navigation remotely, according to reports by Maritime Executive, France 24, and Agence France-Presse. The Colombian Navy released a video showing a small gray tube with a Starlink antenna positioned to connect with Elon Musk’s Low Earth orbit satellite constellation. (It actually looked liked an MI6/Q Branch movie prop for James Bond.)
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At a press conference, Admiral Ricardo Rozo of the Colombian Navy said he believed the semisubmersible, captured in the Caribbean Sea, was out for a test drive and belonged to Colombia’s largest drug cartel, the Gulf Clan. It was believed to be the first Starlink-guided minisub captured in the Western Hemisphere. (A similar vessel with a Starlink connection was apprehended in the Bay of Bengal by Indian police in November 2024 with $4.25 billion in illegal drugs onboard.) (More after paywall.)
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