By EFE,
Guatemala City : US anti-drug agents and Guatemalan army troops captured in Pacific waters four people aboard a small submarine carrying roughly 10 tons of cocaine, officials here said.
Guatemala’s Interior Minister, Raul Velasquez, told reporters Thursday that the submarine was captured Wednesday in Guatemalan waters.
Authorities estimate that inside the vessel are about 10 tons of cocaine, although the quantity will not be able to be accurately determined until the vessel is docked in the coming hours at Puerto Quetzal, the minister said.
He said the submarine was detected by the Guatemalan navy and was captured with the support of US Coast Guard vessels.
Three Colombians and a Mexican – who have not yet been identified by name – were arrested in the operation.
Guatemalan army spokesman Byron Gutierrez told reporters that the capture of the sub came within the context of joint operations with the US Drug Enforcement Administration.
Prior to this latest seizure, security forces had seized about 5.7 tons of cocaine in Guatemala.
Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom said Monday that this year “will be a record” in the seizure of illegal drugs.