07/19/08 06:52 AM
MEXICO
6 tons of cocaine found inside small submarine
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s navy said Friday it found nearly 6 tons of cocaine inside a small submarine after towing the craft to shore.
Vice Admiral Jose Maria Ortegon said the 31-foot submarine was equipped with GPS and a compass and was supposed to drop its shipment on Mexican shores before it was intercepted Wednesday.
He said the navy has stepped up patrols of the area where the sub was seized.
Four Colombian crew members have been taken into custody. They claimed to be fishermen forced by drug cartels to move the cargo, leaving the Colombian port of Buenaventura about a week ago.
Submarines are used increasingly by Colombian gangs to move drugs north into the
U. S.
