--- title: "Watch the Coast Guard bust the biggest Narco-Sub ever" description: "In July 2015, the Coast Guard caught a semi-submersible Narco-Sub running just below the waterline. Get the whole story on We Are the Mighty." date: "2021-02-19" modified: "2021-02-19" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/watch/watch-coast-guard-bust-biggest-narco-sub-ever/" categories: - "Coast Guard" - "History" - "Ships" - "Tactical" --- # Watch the Coast Guard bust the biggest Narco-Sub ever ![]() Narco-subs, aka drug subs, aka Bigfoot submarines, are custom-made submarines used by cartels in Central and South America to smuggle drugs (usually cocaine) from Colombia to Mexico and/or the United States. For more than twenty years the U.S. Coast Guard has been on the watch for these kinds of smuggling techniques. The first time they found one, they dubbed it *[Bigfoot]()*, because before they actually found one, they had only heard rumors of their existence. --- ![narco-sub]() *A narco-sub under construction in Ecuador* Sometimes the subs are self-propelled, sometimes, they're dragged by a surface ship. Sometimes the subs are fully submersible, sometimes, they aren't. This all depends on the level of expertise in their creation. The subs can typically carry *tons* of illegal cargo. Before subs, fishing vessels and speed boats were the main enemy in the war on shipping, but they can be seen on radar and the Coast Guard developed a [special kind of helicopter]() to catch the fast boats. Much of cocaine moved that way was intercepted. In July 2015, the Coast Guard caught a semi-submersible running just below the waterline. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhZ-4B2hrQk In the video, the Coast Guard Cutter *Stratton* crew seizes bales of coke from a self-propelled semi-submersible submarine caught [200 miles off the coast of Mexico](), July 19, 2015. They captured more than six tons of drugs from the 40-foot ship, worth an estimated $181 million. Another two tons of cocaine sank with the homemade sub. ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()