Portuguese authorities have intercepted a semi-submersible “narco‐submarine” in a major Atlantic-based anti-drug operation, seizing approximately 1.7 tonnes of cocaine and arresting four crew members. The joint mission involved the Polícia Judiciária (PJ), the Portuguese Navy and the Portuguese Air Force, with intelligence support from international partners.

The operation, conducted on 30 October 2025, took place in international waters in the Atlantic Ocean, more than 1,800 km from mainland Portugal. The vessel was en route toward the Iberian Peninsula, a known gateway for large-scale cocaine trafficking from Latin America to Europe.

The four suspects—which authorities say included citizens of Ecuador, Venezuela and Colombia—were remanded into custody following hearings at the Criminal Investigation Court in Ponta Delgada, in the Azores archipelago.

According to the PJ’s National Unit for Combating Drug Trafficking, the semi-submersible was designed to minimise radar and aerial detection, reflecting the increasingly sophisticated methods used by transnational criminal organisations.

Naval command of the Portuguese Navy indicated that the operation involved more than 70 military personnel, over 1,500 nautical miles of patrol, and lasted some six days before interception and boarding. Officials noted that the craft, due to its fragile design, could not be safely towed and eventually sank.

This seizure marks one of the largest Atlantic-based narco-submarine interceptions to date for Portugal in 2025, reinforcing the country’s role in European counter-narcotics efforts. Authorities emphasise that disruption of semi-submersible smuggling routes remains a high priority in cooperation with European, U.S. and South American partners.