Royal Navy warship first to seize £160m of drugs from ‘narco sub’ in Caribbean

It brought HMS Trent’s haul of narcotics in eight operations in seven months to nearly £750 million worth.

An operation taking place where cocaine was seized from a narco-sub in the Caribbean Sea by members of the crew aboard Royal Navy patrol ship HMS Trent (MOD/Crown Copyright2024/LPhot Matt Bradley/PA) (PA Media)

A patrol ship has become the first Royal Navy warship to intercept a “narco-sub”, seizing £160 million of cocaine being trafficked across the Caribbean Sea.

Portsmouth-based HMS Trent, working alongside the US Coast Guard (USCG) and a US maritime patrol aircraft, seized the semi-submersed vessel while it was 190 nautical miles south of the Dominican Republic.

The operation seized 2,000kg of cocaine, bringing HMS Trent’s haul of narcotics in eight operations in seven months to nearly £750 million worth.

The ship’s commanding officer Commander Tim Langford said: “It has been a busy yet rewarding eight months for Trent whilst deployed to the Caribbean and this latest seizure reinforces the utility of the Royal Navy’s offshore patrol vessels in the delivery of this vital tasking.

“My skilled team and our embarked USCG law enforcement detachment fought challenging conditions to interdict this semi-submersible – rarely seen in the Caribbean – and were rewarded with another record haul.

“These operations are a team effort and require involvement from every single member of my crew irrespective of their usual role – they can be extremely proud of what they have achieved.”

A Royal Navy spokesman said: “This eighth drugs bust took place on August 26, just 72 hours after Trent’s last successful interdiction in which 462kg of cocaine worth £37 million was seized.

“About 90 nautical miles north of where they stopped the narco-sub, a high-speed night-time pursuit by Trent’s sea boats saw two suspects and 12 bales of drugs seized, ready to be handed over to US authorities.

“Having seized 9,459kg of drugs – worth nearly £750 million – Trent surpasses HMS Argyll as the best hunter of smugglers in the Royal Navy this century, smashing the frigate’s £620 million running total (including busts in the Caribbean during patrols in 2014).

“These successful interceptions disrupt transnational criminal organisations (TCO) and underscore the Royal Navy’s vital role in maintaining maritime security and upholding international law both at home and abroad.

“This role is more important than ever with the flow of drugs to Europe and the UK, where an estimated 117 tonnes is consumed per year, grows significantly.”

HMS Trent, which has 50 specialists in disaster relief operations on board, will now continue patrols in the Caribbean to support British Overseas Territories during hurricane season.