The discovery of an autonomous, unmanned narco-submarine, guided by a Starlink antenna, in the Colombian Caribbean in July 2025, remains a pivotal moment in the fight against narcotics. While widely reported at the time, the seizure off the coast of Tayrona National Park in Magdalena department, revealed a profound technological and operational leap by transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) to transport cocaine to the United States and Europe.
Seized as part of Colombia-led multinational Orion Strategy, the vessel was under construction and testing, yet its design was sophisticated: autonomous navigation and communication capabilities, a 1,500-kilogram cargo capacity, and an operational range of 500 to 800 nautical miles. The device was further equipped with two surveillance cameras (one on the bow for external navigation and one internal for engine monitoring). Crucially, the unprecedented use of a Starlink terminal enables TCOs to achieve reliable, low-latency, near-global satellite coverage, making undetectable, remote command-and-control of these vessels possible — a capability far exceeding previous methods.
This illegal device, attributed to the Clan del Golfo organized armed group, is a clear example of the interdiction challenge authorities now face. Quite significantly, it demonstrates the ability of organized crime to leverage sophisticated technological advances by establishing strategic, cross-border alliances, marking a dangerous new phase in the logistics of drug trafficking.
The strategy of criminal alliances
The technological leap is matched by an organizational one, where TCOs form specialized partnerships to overcome logistical complexity. The core strategy is collaboration based on complementary strengths: Colombia’s largest criminal network, the Clan del Golfo, provides the territorial control and drug supply, while regional and international TCOs provide the specialized technology, distribution, and logistical reach.
The Clan del Golfo maintains direct, highly lucrative partnerships with several of the world’s most powerful crime groups. Its closest allies for the North American market include the Mexican Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New General Cartel (CJNG). These alliances are crucial, particularly as the source of the high-tech development. Juana Cabezas, a researcher at Colombia’s Institute for Development and Peace Studies, told AFP that Mexican cartels operating in Colombia began hiring engineers and technology experts to develop unmanned submarines as far back as 2017. For transatlantic shipments, the Clan del Golfo also partner with powerful European networks like the Italian ‘Ndrangheta and the Albanian Mafia.
Among its regional partners, the potential for collaboration with the Tren de Aragua (TdA), a Venezuelan designated terrorist organization known for its rapid and brutal expansion across the continent, is a new focus for the authorities. The organizational efficiency of the TdA could provide the transnational logistical reach (the ability to secure and move non-standard goods across multiple international borders) and potential access to specialized personnel (the recruitment of technical talent) needed to support advanced ventures like the autonomous submersible vehicle (ASV).
Orlando Carrillo, an expert in citizen security, commented on this complex dynamic: “With regard to Clan del Golfo and Tren del Aragua, there are several theories, several studies, and quite a bit of research, and in some parts of Colombia, they have in fact been in confrontation or conflict precisely over control of certain territories. It is also true that they are most likely working hand in hand. […] It is no secret that there could be an alliance between these two groups to bring technology into the country in one way or another, provide special training, and obviously use it in these types of illegal activities.”
The evolution of narco-submarines
Drug traffickers are effectively using technology to achieve their goals, moving from older designs to true autonomy. This technological shift eliminates the human factor — the main vulnerability and intelligence asset of security forces.
The Colombian Navy’s International Center for Research and Analysis Against Maritime Drug Trafficking (CMCON) provided a comprehensive view of this evolution.
“Drug traffickers are effectively using technology to achieve their goals; ASVs are a clear example of the innovation and development now available to them, with continuous improvement in their design and capabilities; their cost is minimal compared to the enormous profits they could generate,” the CMCON told Diálogo in a statement. “Global satellite coverage and commercial access to all the equipment that would allow a self-propelled semi-submersible vessel (SPSS) to become an ASV present opportunities for transnational criminal organizations, which have the economic power and have proven to be one step ahead of law enforcement authorities in the use of technology for drug trafficking.”
Narco-submarines are not new; for years, TCOs have relied on SPSSs. These are large, low-profile vessels that remain partially above water and are typically crewed. The latest evolution, seen in the seized vessel of July 2025, is the smaller, truly autonomous ASV, also referred to as autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV).
The shift to ASVs is driven by economic benefits: Eliminating the need for a crew allows criminal networks to maximize cargo capacity. Based on wholesale price estimates, this additional capacity could yield an extra $7 million in profit per shipment, making the construction cost of the ASV negligible in comparison.
This unprecedented case for Colombia adds to a worrying trend observed by countries allied with the Orion Multinational Strategy. In the first half of 2025, 10 semi-submersibles had already been detected in different regions of Latin America, and seven more were seized up to the first week of December, the Colombian Navy indicated.
The new paradigm of warfare
The technological leap observed in the Starlink-guided ASV has created a paradigm shift in counternarcotics strategies: It reduces the effectiveness of traditional interdiction methods reliant on crew-based intelligence and underscores the strategic challenge of matching TCO innovation.
“ASVs cannot be considered a device in development; on the contrary, it is a device that narcotraffickers were surely already using in various parts of the world,” the Colombian Navy said. “The development of ASVs has evolved to such an extent that they can be maneuvered from anywhere in the world, transporting illicit drugs to remote locations with a high degree of security, a low probability of detection, and little information about their origin if detected. They therefore constitute a growing threat, and in order to neutralize it, new and urgent strategies, innovation, and technological development by control authorities, as well as international cooperation, are needed.”
