While the U.S. intensifies its actions against alleged , including destroying ships and killing their crews, American allies on the other side of the Atlantic are fighting their own maritime battles against suspected drug traffickers.

“Europe is absolutely being inundated with cocaine,” Artur Vaz, head of Portugal’s anti-narcotics police, stated to .

“Criminal groups… obtain the drugs in , then sell them in markets at prices that yield a huge profit margin here,” Vaz explained—he is the director of the National Unit for Combating Drug Trafficking within Portugal’s Judiciary Police.

Drugs are transported via cargo vessels, fast boats, and more and more frequently, inexpensive semi-submersible craft commonly called “narco-subs.” These vessels travel mostly under the radar, with only their upper portion visible—researchers note they’re often painted in dark blues and grays to match the rough Atlantic waters and avoid being spotted by surveillance.

This autumn, Portuguese law enforcement made a significant seizure: they intercepted a narco-sub in the middle of the Atlantic carrying 1.7 metric tons of cocaine. However, admit that numerous other vessels slip through their defenses.

“The interception rate for these subs is roughly between 10% and as low as 5%,” commented Sam Woolston, an investigative journalist based in Honduras who focuses on organized crime.

“Even if a couple are caught by authorities, it isn’t sufficient to deter them.”

European law enforcement agencies generally opt to intercept drug-carrying boats, avoiding the of destroying them entirely. Instead, the often low-level crew members are arrested and questioned, in an effort to uncover details about elusive drug lords, gang activities, and distribution systems.

However, officials tell that they want to take more action.

“We need to be more robust—meaning we require more resources and a stronger ability to intervene,” Vaz stated. “But, naturally, all within the boundaries of the law.”

Regarding narco-subs, these vessels aren’t a new invention, but they didn’t used to traverse entire oceans before.

“The level of sophistication here is astonishing,” Derek Maltz—who previously served as acting chief of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration—told .

“But everything comes down to money and risk—and right now, I don’t believe these networks see for themselves.”

Journalist Woolston notes that transatlantic trips of this kind are usually manned by “desperate individuals,” due to how dangerous they are.

“You’d be confined to a tiny space for days, often breathing in substances like diesel exhaust. There have even been instances where narco-subs were discovered with dead crew members on board.

“The drug bosses would never set foot on these vessels.”