Two Charleston-based Coast Guard cutters helped in the recovery of 15,000 pounds of cocaine from a submarine-type craft in what’s believed to be the first time the stealth vessels increasingly favored by drug runners have been spotted in the Caribbean.
The Cutters Oak and Gallatin both took part in the effort to find and secure the wreck after the semi-submersible’s crew scuttled the boat in 75 feet of water near the Honduran-Nicaraguan border.
The crew of the Oak located the sunken vessel on the sea floor while the Gallatin participated in security and the overall effort, officials said.