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2019 is already looking set to be another bumper year of narcosub incidents, following the three-fold increase witnessed in 2018. This article is one of a series documenting and analyzing narco-sub incidents and trends. Ref. previous articles from:
May 2016, October 2016, June 2017, March 2018, April 2018, July 2018, August 2018, September 2018, October 2018,
November 2018 & December 2018

Possible new family of VSV nacrosub

A Low Profile vessel (LPV) intercepted by the Colombian Navy in March may represent the first sighting of a new family of nacrosubs. The camouflaged vessel combines the once-standard layout of having the payload in the bow, cockpit amidships and single internally mounted engine in the stern with the recent trend to Very Slender Vessels. VSV-narcosubs started to be seen spring 2017 and have evolved into two distinct lineages, but all have featured aft-mounted cockpits and outboard motors. The boat is 20 meters long and just two meters wide giving a fineness ratio of 10:1. See below

Original work based on photo analysis - CLICK IMAGE FOR HIGH-RESOLUTION:

USCG intercepts narcosub in Pacific
15th December 2018
Coast Guard Cutter Forward (WMEC-911) intercepted a converted-speedboat family Low Profile Vessel (LPV) in the Eastern Pacific near Ecuador.
Ref. Link

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USCG intercepts VSV narcosub in Pacific
4th January 2019
Coast Guard Cutter Alert (WMEC-630) intercepted a Very Slender Vessel (VSV) family Low Profile Vessel (LPV) in the Eastern Pacific.
Ref. Link

USCG intercepts narcosub in Pacific
20th February 2019
Coast Guard Cutter Tampa (WMEC-902) intercepted a rear-engined Low Profile Vessel (LPV) in the Eastern Pacific.
Ref. Link

Colombian Navy seizes three narco subs
March 2019
One traditional mid-cockpit LPV and two rear-engine LPVs
Ref. Link

Narco Sub #1
At-sea intercept of camouflaged four-man mid-cockpit LPV with VSV features - possibly significant if it represents a new family of narcosubs. Crew consisted of two Mexicans, one Ecuadorian and one Colombian. Length 20 meters, width 2 meters, payload 1,535kg cocaine. Intelligence-led operation.

Narco Sub #2
Converted speedboat type narcosub with higher profile cockpit than most other examples (similar boat captured 30th March 2018). 17 meters length, 4 meters beam. Captured in jungle boatyard.

Narco Sub #3
Rear-engined low profile vessel (LPV) of less common stretched-converted-speedboat family. 20 meters length, 4 meters beam. Simiilar to Feb 2017, 6th Sept 2018 and 22nd October 2018 vessels. Captured in jungle boatyard.

#3 (left) and #2 (right).

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Colombian forces intercept narcosub in Pacific
24th March 2019
Colombian Air Force SR-560 aircraft (Cessna 560 Citation V) under the operational control of the Combat Air Command No.7 identified the low profile vessel (LPV) in Colombian Pacific region, with the interception being made by the Colombian Navy. This LPV neatly fits within an emerging sub-family of outboard-motor LPVs.
Ref. Link

Mexican Navy intercepts narcosub being unloaded
30th March 2019
The traditional-layout Low Profile Vessel (LPV) with an inboard motor was intercepted by the forces from ZN-14 (14th Naval Zone) in the Pacific, off Puerto Chiapas. Two packages of cocaine (tbc) were left aboard as the crew and possibly others fled, leaving the narcosub and other small craft abandoned.
Ref. Link and Link


One of the smaller vessels lays abandoned on the beach after the chase. This is clearly a boat which went to meet the narcosub as the LPV itself can only carry inflatable boats.

Narco Sub cutaways/illustrations for reference:

Previously missed: USCG intercepts VSV narcosub
14th Aug 2017
USCGC Steadfast intercepted a Very Slender Vessel (VSV) family-2 Low Profile Vessel (LPV) in the Pacific. Four outboards (some of this family only have two), 3 crew.

Ref. Link

Previously missed: Colombian Navy intercepts VSV narcosub
9th June 2018
Colombian Navy intercepted a Very Slender Vessel (VSV) family Low Profile Vessel (LPV) in the Pacific. 4 crew (2 Mexicans, 1 Ecuadorian, 1 Colombian) were arrested with 2,036kg of cocaine.

Ref. Link

Previously missed: VSV narcosub on Costa Rican beach
27th July 2018
A narcosub with 1.2 tons of cocaine was discovered on a beach on Punta Burica. It was reported to only have two 75-horsepower Yamaha outboards so possibly one was missing. And although reported as being 12 meters long, this family of VSV narcosubs are generally longer (~18 meters) and this example appears consistant.

Ref. Link

Previously missed: Colombian Navy intercepts VSV narcosub
6th September 2018
Colombian Navy intercepted a Very Slender Vessel (VSV) family Low Profile Vessel (LPV) in the Sanguianga National Park in Colombian Eastern Pacific. It had 2,039kg of cocaine in 112 packages.

Ref. Link

Previously missed: Panamanian forces seize VSV narcosub
6th September 2018
Panamanian forces seized an empty VSV-1 family narcosub, reportedly a first for the country. It had a capacity of approximately 3 tons of cocaine. Despite similarities, it appears to be a separate boat from the above.

Ref. Link

Previously missed: Colombian Navy finds washed-up VSV narcosub
14th September 2018
Colombian Navy personnel inspected a 25 meter VSV abandoned on Palo Secal beach, Bajo Baudó municipality, Chocó. The vessel was minus its outboard motors and appears to have been partially burnt. The craft was reportedly associated with the ELN, Colombia’s last Marxist guerrilla group which has been around for more 50 years.


Ref. Link

Previously missed: New class of LPV with outboards
17th July 2018
A basic LPV. Note bowlines and crudeness of covering.

Ref. Link

Better pictures of previously reported Colombian Navy intercepts new type of narcosub
23rd May 2016

If you look carefully at the windows in these two photos, they are actually separate boats, but of the same family

See May 2016 article.
Ref. Link and Link

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