Colombia military stops semi-submersible narco vessel loaded with 1,687 kilos of cocaine in the Pacific Ocean and bound for Central America

A cocaine shipment worth nearly $1 million was seized off of a semi-submersible vessel by the Colombian military.

The 55-foot-long vessel was loaded with 1,678 kilos of cocaine when it was spotted in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of the western province of Nariño, Armed Forces Commander General Helder Giraldo said Sunday.

Four suspects were arrested and placed under the custody of the Attorney General’s Office.

The massive shipment, which was stuffed inside 77 plastic bags, was reportedly being transported to Central America, according to authorities.

The coast guard escorted the vessel to its port in the Nariño town of Tumaco, where agents with the prosecutor’s office inspected the cargo and confirmed it was cocaine.

The suspects are facing trafficking, manufacturing and possession of drug charges. They could serve prison sentences ranging from eight to 20 years if they are found guilty.

Authorities have confiscated more than 705,000 kilos of cocaine from drug trafficking organizations in 2023, the military said.

The drugs were enough to produce 4 million doses across the world.

The military said that by seizing cocaine shipments they have prevented the cartels and left-wing guerrillas from making over $56 million in sales.

Crops of coca - cocaine's main ingredient - rose 13 percent last year in Colombia to hit a record 568,342 acres.

The potential cocaine production increased by 24 percent to 1,915 tons per year, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

Colombian authorites said in November they hoped to destroy 77 square miles of coca crops by the end of the year and seize a record 834 tons of cocaine.