{ "archive_path": "archive/1791112515.845595", "base_url": "www.the-sun.com/news/17094703", "basename": "17094703", "bookmarked_date": "2026-10-04 11:15", "canonical": { "archive_org_path": "https://web.archive.org/web/www.the-sun.com/news/17094703", "dom_path": "output.html", "favicon_path": "favicon.ico", "git_path": "git/", "google_favicon_path": "https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=www.the-sun.com", "headers_path": "headers.json", "htmltotext_path": "htmltotext.txt", "index_path": "index.html", "media_path": "media/", "mercury_path": "mercury/content.html", "pdf_path": "output.pdf", "readability_path": "readability/content.html", "screenshot_path": "screenshot.png", "singlefile_path": "singlefile.html", "warc_path": "warc/", "wget_path": "www.the-sun.com/news/17094703.html" }, "domain": "www.the-sun.com", "extension": "", "hash": "1ZFN2R4NB7J673ASH0C7", "history": { "archive_org": [], "dom": [], "favicon": [ { "cmd": [ "curl", "--silent", "--location", "--compressed", "--max-time", "120", "--output", "favicon.ico", "--user-agent", "Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 10_15_7) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/118.0.0.0 Safari/537.36 ArchiveBox/0.7.4 (+https://github.com/ArchiveBox/ArchiveBox/) curl/curl 8.14.1 (x86_64-pc-linux-gnu)", "https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=www.the-sun.com" ], "cmd_version": "curl 8.14.1 (x86_64-pc-linux-gnu)", "end_ts": "2026-10-04T13:19:58.384449+00:00", "index_texts": null, "output": "favicon.ico", "pwd": "/data/archive/1791112515.845595", "schema": "ArchiveResult", "start_ts": "2026-10-04T13:19:57.633575+00:00", "status": "succeeded" } ], "git": [], "headers": [ { "cmd": [ "curl", "--silent", "--location", "--compressed", "--head", "--max-time", "120", "--user-agent", "Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 10_15_7) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/118.0.0.0 Safari/537.36 ArchiveBox/0.7.4 (+https://github.com/ArchiveBox/ArchiveBox/) curl/curl 8.14.1 (x86_64-pc-linux-gnu)", "https://www.the-sun.com/news/17094703" ], "cmd_version": "curl 8.14.1 (x86_64-pc-linux-gnu)", "end_ts": "2026-10-04T13:19:59.518618+00:00", "index_texts": null, "output": "headers.json", "pwd": "/data/archive/1791112515.845595", "schema": "ArchiveResult", "start_ts": "2026-10-04T13:19:58.399116+00:00", "status": "succeeded" } ], "htmltotext": [], "media": [], "mercury": [ { "cmd": [ "/app/node_modules/@postlight/parser/cli.js", "https://www.the-sun.com/news/17094703" ], "cmd_version": "1.0.0", "end_ts": "2026-10-04T13:22:06.006128+00:00", "index_texts": null, "output": "mercury", "pwd": "/data/archive/1791112515.845595", "schema": "ArchiveResult", "start_ts": "2026-10-04T13:22:02.268526+00:00", "status": "succeeded" } ], "pdf": [], "readability": [ { "cmd": [ "/app/node_modules/readability-extractor/readability-extractor", "/tmp/tmpih68yda3", "https://www.the-sun.com/news/17094703" ], "cmd_version": "0.0.11", "end_ts": "2026-10-04T13:22:02.254258+00:00", "index_texts": [ "DEEP in the South American jungle, cartels are building self-detonating narco subs to flood European markets with cocaine.\n\n\n\nThe world\u2019s most vicious gangs are evolving with new tactics and technology to expand their bloodthirsty empire across the world.\n\n\nMembers of the Colombian Navy stand guard on top of a seized submarine built by drug smugglers Credit: Reuters\n\nAI Narco subs are an emerging threat for European security as cartels look to expand their empire Credit: EUROATLAS\n\n\nAnd their latest project is advancing at a terrifying pace \u2013 with experts warning that the lethal unmanned vessels could be roaming European waters in just two years.\n\n\n\nLast week, a Colombian navy report estimated cartel Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) could cross the Atlantic and the Pacific by 2035.\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSign up for The US Sun newsletter\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThank you!\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\n\n\n\n\nBut undersea defence expert Verineia Codrean told The Sun these deadly vessels will be ready for deployment much sooner \u2013 in as little as two years.\n\n\n\nVerineia said: \u201cWe already know criminal groups have built crewless vessels using commercially available autopilots and satellite communications. \n\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\nA Narco sub being intercepted by the Spanish coast guard off the coast of Galicia Credit: Dan Charity\n\nRoyal Navy patrol ship HMS Trent seizes cocaine from a narco-sub in the Caribbean Sea Credit: Royal Navy\n\n\n\u201cThe next steps are greater range, more reliable navigation and progressively less dependence on instructions from an operator.\u201d\n\n\n\nIn July 2025, the Colombian navy announced it had seized the world\u2019s first documented \u201cautonomous semisubmersible\u201d.\n\n\n\nThe ship, with a 1.5-tonne cargo capacity, operated with two Starlink antennas and an autopilot feature.\n\n\n\nTwo surveillance cameras were also installed: one on the bow, providing a real-time view of the craft\u2019s trajectory and obstacles, and another inside to monitor the engine and transmission.\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMost read in The US Sun\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\n\n\nThere were no drugs on board this time, but most notably, there was no crew.\n\n\n\nOfficials believe the uncrewed sub seized last year was on a trial run to the US or Europe.\n\n\n\nIt is understood to have been operated by Colombia\u2018s largest and most notorious drug trafficking group, the Gulf clan.\n\n\n\nThis was \u201cnot a warning of a future risk, but rather confirmation of a process\u201d, the navy report said.\n\n\nFarmer Miguel Mangos processes coca leaves to make cocaine base paste in Colombia Credit: AFP\n\nCartels are expanding their bloodthirsty empire across the world with new tactics Credit: x.com/@blogdelosguachs\n\n\nGiven the challenges of detecting these vessels, it is possible drug-laden AUVs are already in regular operation.\n\n\n\nMexican cartels operating in Colombia have been quietly hiring specialised tech experts and engineers to help develop these ghost subs as far back as 2017.\n\n\n\nVerineia is the\u00a0chief strategy and partnerships officer at\u00a0defence tech company Euroatlas \u2013 the makers of the world\u2019s longest-endurance autonomous underwater vehicle, Greyshark.\n\n\n\nShe said: \u201cA sophisticated vessel does not need every component to be designed for military use.\n\n\n\n\u201cThe first crewless narco sub intercepted by the Colombian Navy used civilian technology.\n\n\n\n\u201cMarine engines, batteries, navigation systems, communications equipment and composite materials are all available on the civilian market.\u201d\n\n\n\nAI has drastically lowered the cost of systems that, a decade ago, were exclusive to the military.\n\n\n\nVerineia said: \u201cCriminal groups are not trying to build a military submarine capable of performing multiple missions over decades of service. \n\n\nCocaine that\u2019s seized by customs disguised inside fruit trying to enter the Galacian coast by shipping containers Credit: Dan Charity\n\nSpanish Customs officials \u2018floating\u2019 a the Narco sub they discovered near Vigo, before the smugglers could sink it Credit: Dan Charity\n\n\n\u201cThey need a vessel that can transport a high-value cargo from A to B with a sufficiently low probability of detection.\n\n\n\n\u201cPortugal is particularly relevant. The Colombian navy has estimated the first AUV-1G Atlantic crossing will deliver its cargo near the Portuguese coast.\u201d\n\n\n\nIt comes as Colombia \u2013 the world\u2019s leading cocaine producer \u2013 faces record-high production of the drug, fuelled by surging global demand.\n\n\n\nThe country\u2019s estimated coca leaf cultivation increased from 204,000 to 253,000 hectares \u2013 504,000 to 625,000 acres \u2013 in 2023, according to the\u00a0United Nations.\n\n\n\nThe Colombian navy said that in the first half of 2025, 10 narco subs were detected in different regions of the continent.\n\n\n\nAll had been adapted to make them difficult to track by radar \u2013 and even mobilise with partial autonomy.\n\n\n\nThe navy has warned that autonomous technologies are \u201can emerging threat that is transforming the transnational criminal landscape\u201d.\n\n\n\nBy eliminating the crew, AUVs free up more space for cargo and remove the risk of human capture, extradition, and informing.\n\n\nColombia is the world\u2019s leading Cocaine producer \u2013 responsible for about 70 per cent of what\u2019s sold across the globe Credit: AFP\n\nMembers of the Colombian anti-narcotics battle made an operation to locate and destroy an elaborate cocaine farm in 2000 Credit: AFP\n\n\nThey scale cheaply, and challenge detection systems built for a world where someone was always on board.\n\n\n\nVerineia said: \u201cThe fundamental problem is persistence. These vessels are deliberately designed to minimise their visual, radar and electromagnetic signatures, while operating across enormous maritime areas.\n\n\n\n\u201cDetecting something once is difficult, maintaining sufficient surveillance to find, classify and then track a low-signature vessel over a long route is much harder.\u201d\n\n\n\nAt the same time, interception also becomes more dangerous.\n\n\n\nThe Colombian navy said submarines could be fitted with explosive cargo and remotely activated self-destruction systems.\n\n\n\nTo combat the risk, security forces have suggested using unmanned assets themselves during initial contact with an unknown AUV.\n\n\n\n\u201cThat keeps sailors and coastguard personnel away from the vessel until the threat is better understood,\u201d Verineia said.\n\n\n\nWhile most cocaine is still smuggled on container ships, narco subs are playing a growing role especially for long-haul routes.\n\n\n\nThe Colombian navy predicts cartels could programme these vessels with a destination and mission, using AI to analyse patrol patterns, detect threats, and choose the safest route without human input.\u00a0\n\n\n\nAn estimated 25 million people use cocaine worldwide, according to the United Nations, and around 22 per cent of them are in Europe.\n\n\n\nCocaine production has reached an all-time high to meet the growing demand.\n\n\n\nSince 2024 the drug has overtaken oil as Colombia\u2019s single biggest export making the country responsible for about 70 per cent of what\u2019s sold across the globe.\n\n\n\nIt is also the main hub of illicit naval engineering for long-range ocean missions, the Navy said.\n\n\n\nAnd a history of bloody civil war has spawned armed militias which are now keen to facilitate a drugs trade worth some $15billion.\n\n\n\nColombia is well positioned to profit from cocaine \u2013 sharing land borders with five countries, and with maritime access to the Pacific, Atlantic and Caribbean.\n\n\n\nAnd its cartels have begun to form alliances with neighbouring drug lords to smuggle it across the Atlantic.\n\n\n\nThe Colombian cartels supply the drugs and naval construction while the Mexicans provide financing and delivery logistics into Europe.\n\n\n\nA report published by Europol earlier this year confirmed that cocaine trafficking into Europe continues to expand and diversify.\n\n\n\nGovernments around the world are now recalibrating their playbooks to meet this shifting threat.\n\n\n\nIn October 2025, the Pentagon announced an expanded Caribbean counter-narcotics task force.\n\n\n\nThe team included AI-enhanced ISR feeds, drones, and naval assets to anticipate unmanned maritime traffic patterns.\n\n\t\n\nComment now" ], "output": "readability", "pwd": "/data/archive/1791112515.845595", "schema": "ArchiveResult", "start_ts": "2026-10-04T13:21:59.628970+00:00", "status": "succeeded" } ], "screenshot": [], "singlefile": [], "title": [ { "cmd": [ "curl", "--silent", "--location", "--compressed", "--max-time", "120", "--user-agent", "Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 10_15_7) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/118.0.0.0 Safari/537.36 ArchiveBox/0.7.4 (+https://github.com/ArchiveBox/ArchiveBox/) curl/curl 8.14.1 (x86_64-pc-linux-gnu)", "https://www.the-sun.com/news/17094703" ], "cmd_version": "curl 8.14.1 (x86_64-pc-linux-gnu)", "end_ts": "2026-10-04T13:21:59.620595+00:00", "index_texts": null, "output": "How ruthless cartels are building self-detonating narco subs to blast enemies & flood Europe with cocaine", "pwd": "/data/archive/1791112515.845595", "schema": "ArchiveResult", "start_ts": "2026-10-04T13:21:59.548889+00:00", "status": "succeeded" } ], "wget": [ { "cmd": [ "wget", "--no-verbose", "--adjust-extension", "--convert-links", "--force-directories", "--span-hosts", "--no-parent", "-e", "robots=off", "--reject=js,mjs,woff,woff2,ttf,otf,eot,mp4,m4v,mov,webm,ogv,mkv,avi,flv", "--timeout=120", "--restrict-file-names=windows", "--page-requisites", "--user-agent=Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 10_15_7) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/118.0.0.0 Safari/537.36 ArchiveBox/0.7.4 (+https://github.com/ArchiveBox/ArchiveBox/) wget/GNU Wget 1.21.3", "--compression=auto", "--timestamping", "https://www.the-sun.com/news/17094703" ], "cmd_version": "GNU Wget 1.21.3", "end_ts": "2026-10-04T13:21:59.534471+00:00", "index_texts": null, "output": "TimeoutExpired: Command '['wget', '--no-verbose', '--adjust-extension', '--convert-links', '--force-directories', '--span-hosts', '--no-parent', '-e', 'robots=off', '--reject=js,mjs,woff,woff2,ttf,otf,eot,mp4,m4v,mov,webm,ogv,mkv,avi,flv', '--timeout=120', '--restrict-file-names=windows', '--page-requisites', '--user-agent=Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 10_15_7) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/118.0.0.0 Safari/537.36 ArchiveBox/0.7.4 (+https://github.com/ArchiveBox/ArchiveBox/) wget/GNU Wget 1.21.3', '--compression=auto', '--timestamping', 'https://www.the-sun.com/news/17094703']' timed out after 120 seconds", "pwd": "/data/archive/1791112515.845595", "schema": "ArchiveResult", "start_ts": "2026-10-04T13:19:59.527972+00:00", "status": "failed" } ] }, "icons": null, "is_archived": true, "is_static": false, "latest": { "archive_org": null, "dom": null, "favicon": "favicon.ico", "git": null, "media": null, "pdf": null, "screenshot": null, "singlefile": null, "title": "How ruthless cartels are building self-detonating narco subs to blast enemies & flood Europe with cocaine", "warc": null, "wget": "TimeoutExpired: Command '['wget', '--no-verbose', '--adjust-extension', '--convert-links', '--force-directories', '--span-hosts', '--no-parent', '-e', 'robots=off', '--reject=js,mjs,woff,woff2,ttf,otf,eot,mp4,m4v,mov,webm,ogv,mkv,avi,flv', '--timeout=120', '--restrict-file-names=windows', '--page-requisites', '--user-agent=Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 10_15_7) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/118.0.0.0 Safari/537.36 ArchiveBox/0.7.4 (+https://github.com/ArchiveBox/ArchiveBox/) wget/GNU Wget 1.21.3', '--compression=auto', '--timestamping', 'https://www.the-sun.com/news/17094703']' timed out after 120 seconds" }, "link_dir": "/data/archive/1791112515.845595", "newest_archive_date": "2026-10-04T13:22:02.268526+00:00", "num_failures": 1, "num_outputs": 5, "oldest_archive_date": "2026-10-04T13:19:57.633575+00:00", "path": "/news/17094703", "schema": "Link", "scheme": "https", "snapshot_id": "5d149a39-0302-4077-a3e0-b7b6c9c98f46", "sources": [ "/data/sources/1791112515-import.txt" ], "tags": ",pool,war-wiki,drudge", "tags_str": "pool,war-wiki,drudge", "timestamp": "1791112515.845595", "title": "How ruthless cartels are building self-detonating narco subs to blast enemies & flood Europe with cocaine", "updated": "2026-10-04T13:19:57.633337+00:00", "updated_date": "2026-10-04 13:19", "url": "https://www.the-sun.com/news/17094703" }