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US Helps Mexico Find Drug Submarine

By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ
,
AP
posted: 83 DAYS 6 HOURS AGO
comments: 1451
filed under: Crime News, World News
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MEXICO CITY (July 18) - Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Friday that U.S. intelligence led Mexican forces to a small submarine captured this week packed with 5.8 tons of cocaine.

Teamwork Leads to Massive Bust

Bundles of cocaineLuis Alberto Cruz Hernandez, AP

U.S. intelligence helped the Mexican navy seize a submarine packed with 5.8 tons of cocaine, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Friday. The drugs were packed in the black bundles that are shown here at the port of Salina Cruz, Mexico.

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Chertoff called the vessel's seizure Wednesday off Oaxaca state in southern Mexico "a great example of our cooperation."
"We shared information with the Mexican navy, but the Mexican navy acted alone in actually executing the seizure," Chertoff told a news conference in Mexico City.
Mexican navy Vice Adm. Jose Maria Ortegon said the 30-foot (10-meter) green submarine was equipped with GPS and a compass, and its crew had planned to drop off its shipment on Mexican shores. The navy has since stepped up patrols in the area.
Authorities arrested four Colombian crew members who claim to be fishermen forced by drug cartels to move the cargo. They say they left the Colombian port of Buenaventura about a week ago.
Similar makeshift submarines carrying drugs have been discovered off Colombia and Central America, but the navy says the seizure is a first for Mexico.
Chertoff, who is on a three-day trip to meet with Mexican security officials, said drug cartels are increasingly relying on the subs to smuggle cocaine to the United States.
U.S. officials say traffickers use the vessels to carry about 32 percent of the cocaine moved by water from South America to the U.S.
Costing about US$1 million, the boats are usually painted to blend in with the color of the water, U.S. Coast Guard Cmdr. Thad Allen told reporters in Washington on Friday.
Many are capable of carrying more than 10 tons of cocaine and can be operated by remote control from hundreds of miles away, Allen said.
Drug cartels have been looking for new ways to move drugs north to the United States as the Mexican government cracks down on drug trafficking across the country.
President Felipe Calderon has deployed 25,000 soldiers across the country to battle drug gangs, which have responded with bold attacks on the military and police. More than 4,000 people have been killed in turf wars, assassinations and shootouts since Calderon took office in December 2006.
Chertoff said Friday that a US$400 million aid package recently approved by the United States would go to help Mexico buy equipment, train agents and coordinate information with the U.S. He also praised Mexico's drug offensive.
"My personal belief is that you got to step down very hard very quickly on those people who challenge the rule of law and defy it, and that's why I'm pleased to see the Mexican military has been involved," Chertoff said. "They have been aggressive, and most of all they haven't been intimidated."
Associate Press writers E. Eduardo Castillo in Mexico City and Eileen Sullivan in Washington contributed to this report.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2008-07-18 18:17:23
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QuikSilver1945

04:33 PMJul 27 2008

Dang, these druggy are so desperate they built a whole f***in submarine? I wouldn't be surprised if they found cocaine on the moon.

AVG RATING:
(1)

drjpba

08:57 PMJul 27 2008

How long will it be before we the people realize that gov is the not the solution but is the problem.this insane, hypocritical,immoral war on drugs only benifits lawyers,politicians,drug dealers,prison owners and terrorists.let the people do what they want as long as they are not violating someone else's constitutional rights or property.Our government is insane doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.constant waste of money and lives ruined.legalize,decriminalize and treat the problem as a health issue,more people die and lives are destroyed by alcohol,tobacco and legal drugs.Hell you wont even hear the major party candidates talk about it except Bob Barr.would president Bush's live be better had he been punished for his youthful transgressions,how about Obama,how about anybody.WAKE UP AMERICA !!!VOTE FOR REAL CHANGE,A CHANGE BACK TO THE CONSTITUTION.MAKE A REAL STATEMENT AND VOTE LIBERTARIAN ACROSS THE BOARD.

AVG RATING:
(1)

Hleighc87

05:47 PMJul 25 2008

Dannnggg. Thats alot, I dont think it should be legalized, but marijuan should be =]

AVG RATING:
(1)

RBurke3177

08:45 AMJul 25 2008

Poison?Dumbass

AVG RATING:
(1)

Gstarsnbars

08:12 PMJul 25 2008

poison the drugs and let it get back in curculation, addicts are no good anyway,no addicts no problem

AVG RATING:
(0)

Secondchancechis

08:10 AMJul 24 2008

mcfinnigan.blogspot.com

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(0)

Redson1

04:38 AMJul 24 2008

Govt is so foolish , make it legal , TAX it , treat it , control it, Alchohol kills more people each year, than all illegal drugs combined.

AVG RATING:
(1)

BMIKEEB

02:42 AMJul 24 2008

who the hell built that underwater vessel?

AVG RATING:
(1)

DONNAJIMDOGZ

10:49 AMJul 23 2008

The drug war can NEVER work until people quit doing drugs. Supply and demand, it is what America thrives on. Quit buying, quit purchasing death.

AVG RATING:
(0)

Berloi

06:43 AMJul 22 2008

Drugs keep Lawyers in pin stripe suits and even the judge gets a new pair shoes now and then. Look at drugs as bait and it will start making sense.

AVG RATING:
(2)

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