Colombian Navy seizes Starlink narco sub

In a first-of-its-kind incident, the Colombian Navy announced this week that it had seized an unmanned narco-submarine equipped with Starlink satellite internet - marking a new chapter in the technological arms race between drug cartels and law enforcement. The vessel, capable of transporting 1.5 tons of cocaine over 800 miles, was found empty off the Caribbean coast near Santa Marta and is believed to have been on a test run by the Gulf Clan, Colombia's largest drug trafficking organization.

The semi-submersible vessel was equipped with two antennas—one protected by fiberglass—connected to a Starlink modem that enables real-time satellite communication and remote-control capabilities. Rather than being a true submarine, such a vessel is designed to run low in the water with only air inlets and communications equipment visible above the surface. The Gulf Clan, recently designated a foreign terrorist organization by the United States, has been developing autonomous submarine technology for nearly a decade.