Blog 3: To Smuggle More Drugs, Traffickers Go Under the Sea

Suzanne Nemchek
9/14/12
3:40 PM

                In September of last year, the U.S. Coast Guard chased and caught a semi-submersible vessel thought to be carrying several tons of cocaine (Schmidt).  To the Coast Guard’s despair, it turned out to only be holding two bales of drugs - 66 pounds each (Schmidt).  Incidents like these, involving submarines or semi-submersibles, are becoming an ongoing problem for North and South America, where an abundance of drug trafficking occurs.  In the past, drug traffickers were known to carry drugs in “so-called fast boats, the high-powered fishing and leisure boats that can carry a ton of cocaine and are easier to spot” than submersibles (Schmidt).  Now, the drugs are being transported in full or semi-submersible vessels which can carry much more tons of drugs without being spotted.  Some newer submarines are even able to “sail beneath the surface all the way from Ecuador to Los Angeles” if they “surfac[e] at night to charge their batteries” (Schmidt).  An even bigger threat to the U.S. is the use of submarines by terrorists to carry weapons or attackers.  So far, there has been no detection of this type of use of submarines.  However, since some of these new submarines are built by independent contractors, terrorists may have easier access with the right amount of money (Schmidt).

                Drug trafficking, in and of itself, is not a serious global issue.  However, the repercussions that may exist due to the distribution and use of drugs can be somewhat serious.  When trafficking involves synthetic drugs, such as cocaine and heroin, it poses a threat to society because it affects individuals in a negative way.  A person high off of cocaine for a significant amount of time will not be able to attain a job, take care of their family, or serve any basic function in society.  Now, if only a few people here and there were to partake in such use of drugs, it would not have much of an effect on society.  Rather, it would reflect personal troubles.  However, drugs become a social issue when many people partake in the usage.  In this case, many people are no longer serving as functional pieces of a society.  Due to this, drug trafficking of drugs, such as cocaine, is a serious global issue because it poses a threat to many societies throughout the world.

Works Cited
Schmidt, Michael S. and Thom Shanker. 2012. "To Smuggle More Drugs, Traffickers Go Under the Sea". The New York Times. Retrieved September 14, 2012. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/10/world/americas/drug-smugglers-pose-underwater-challenge-in-caribbean.html?pagewanted=1&bl