Homeland Security is investigating a mysterious vessel that washed ashore on a South Florida beach.
Not often, do Florida residents deal with large unknown objects washing ashore on the beaches outside their residence or their favorite vacation spot. But officials with Homeland Security, the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI and the U.S Coast Guard are trying to determine what they are dealing with off the Palm Beach coastline. Several residents reported an object that had washed ashore after it had been spotted floating in the waters off the coast of Highland Beach.
However, according to U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Commander Eric Pare, “the vessel could have been used to smuggle drugs into the country. “ Pare elaborated and said, “We he have had these cases in the past. But they’re usually in the deep Caribbean, off the coast of South America or the eastern Pacific on the Mexican side; (or) the Pacific coast. It’s extremely rare to see something like this this far north.”
Above is a picture of the homemade submarine as it protrudes out of the water as divers help secure it off the coast of Highland Beach, Florida. But could this be relatively sophisticated nautical craft made to move narcotics beneath the sea? Did you know just over 20 years ago, these objects began to emerge and earned the name, narco-submarines because they were used as an alternative method of transporting narcotics.
However, according to Byron Ramirez and Robert Bunker, drug cartels are organized, adaptive, and strategic. Over time, they have acquired vast financial resources that allow them to invest in technologies geared towards providing them with a strategic edge. Drug cartels have learned to adapt to a changing environment where law enforcement authorities and militaries are also seeking to find their own effective ways of disrupting the flow of illicit drugs. Technology has become a source of competitive advantage and both drug cartels and militaries have been investing in engineering and technological tools that will allow them to counteract one another.
But what about those trying to migrate to the United States from other countries? Did you know the United States Coast Guard spotted 3,722 Cubans in 2013, almost double the number who were intercepted in 2012? Under the migration accord signed after the 1994 rafter crisis, those captured at sea are sent back to Cuba. Those who reach land get to stay, which the Cuban government has long argued draws many people into making the dangerous voyage.
But do you think this floating manmade object was used for migration or to transport narcotics? Regardless its use, it is important for our nautical forces to remain flexible because Organizations are always changing their techniques, tactics, and procedures to avoid being detected.
However, what would you do if you saw one of these floating objects?
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