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| Caribbean-Latin America |
| Coast Guard intercepts Drug Sub - Cool Video at Link |
| 2008-05-02 |
| In the last 6 months the U.S. Coast Guard along with the U.S. Navy have found 42 submersibles headed north towards the United States and off the coast of Central America. That is double the number found in the previous 5 years combined. These subs can carry as much as 10 tons of drugs or even weapons and some of the latest models can move 15 knots. This is obviously troubling and makes our war on the cartels that much more difficult. We are currently at Coast Guard Island in Alameda California, where the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Sherman is located. The ship has recently returned from operations off of Central America, where finding these subs is proving difficult. They are primitive but effective and built similar to the subs used in the civil war. Usually about 6 inches or so sticks above the water, which is almost impossible to spot. During the day the subs sit, preserving their cover for movement at night. Here is some great raw video provided by the U.S. Coast Guard. |
| Posted by:GolfBravoUSMC |
| #6 Actually, these are not true submersibles - only semi-submersible. The conning tower/snorkel is always out of the water, otherwise the crew drowns and/or smothers. And being built out of predominately fibreglass, a couple of rounds from a M2 .50 cal would do all sorts of nasty things to the ship and crew. |
| Posted by: Shieldwolf 2008-05-02 22:10 |
| #5 IRONY > a strong BORDER FENCE may induce dedicated Drug traders to resort to various types of advanced HI-SPEED transports as well as slower STEALTH/COVERT variants, i.e. SHOOT-AND-SCOOT = FIRE/DELIVER-AND-FORGET, and whose DRUG DELIVERY SYS-METHODS MAY BE MISTAKEN FOR MILITARY WEAPON SYSTEM = MIL/TERR ATTACK??? OTOH, a WEAK = NONEXISTENT FENCE > "Business as usual" ala present crime methods and related problems [e.g. illegal immigration]??? UNDERWORLD-MAFIAS > RULES ARE FOR COPS, SUCKERS, AND HONEST PEOPLE, NOT EVERYONE ELSE. SUPPORT THE "DARK SIDE", D *** YOU, YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO! |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2008-05-02 21:04 |
| #4 "One ping only, please." |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2008-05-02 15:29 |
| #3 I'm not sure depth charges would be required. Have a Navy anti-sub helo dip its towed sonar near the sub and turn the power on the active sonar to 'high'. I'll bet a dollar that the mooks in the sub 1) come to the surface 2) surrender and 3) never, ever do it again. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2008-05-02 15:26 |
| #2 Depth charges, anyone? |
| Posted by: Mike 2008-05-02 15:20 |
| #1 seems to me a couple of rounds through the hull would fix that running away problem. |
| Posted by: USN,Ret. 2008-05-02 14:32 |