Original subtitles

On this episode of Drug Wars, the U .S. Coast Guard continues pursuing a boat of

drug smugglers in the Pacific. If they don't stop, the helicopter will be

to disable their engines.

And in Panama, the investigation isn't over, with drug enforcement turning up

the pressure during an interrogation of two drug smugglers. This could lead them

to a major cartel drug staff.

Public enemy number one is drug abuse.

The decades -long war on drugs is a constant battle.

Drugs are menacing our society.

With the growing demand in the United States, cartels are moving an endless

supply of drugs.

Positive for cocaine.

Fusion is taking you inside the drug war to the front lines of Operation

Martillo. a multinational counter -narcotics operation.

In just three months, we witnessed over 15 tons of drug seizures, totaling over

$800 million.

This is Drug Wars.

On the previous episode of Drug Wars, Coast Guard Cutter Boutwell began a 90

-day deployment to stop drug trafficking in the Pacific.

As the night settled, they received intel from a Marine Patrol aircraft.

that could turn into their first major drug bust. Launch a helicopter.

Now the helicopter is in the air, and the quick response boat is approaching

target. Their mission is to get the suspects to stop. The 11 has issued an

for ROV boarding to include steps 2 and 4.

Although Coast Guard officers haven't been able to identify the boat's

nationality, their command center has given them the OK, or the SNO, to fire

warning shots.

If the boat doesn't stop, they'll be forced to disable the engine.

Roger. Jettisoning in location 1 -1 -1 -2 -north, 0 -9 -2 -3 -2 -west. We're

jettisoning in the water. Mark that position.

Helicopter receives authorization to employ warning shots in favor of the

as the patrol fails to stop.

We just received reports from the helicopter that they've disabled the go

Our small boat is currently en route to gain positive control of the vessel.

We're making preparations right now to launch our other OTH, and we're going to

vector them into that position and look for the contraband that's been

jettisoned. The second quick response boat must recover the bales so they have

proper evidence to make a case.

Otherwise, they have no way of proving the bales were actually drugged.

All right, do you see our strobe light?

Portside stern?

Keep swinging that spotlight forward.

so it doesn't get on the small boat.

The cutter is equipped with infrared lighting that it will provide as support

for the two small boats trying to recover the bales.

shifting into collecting evidence on the vessel and actually treating it in the

law enforcement mode, especially helpful since we have recovered contraband out

in the water that this vessel was observed jettisoning in the course of

pursuit. So this is what we do, but as you can see,

stopping the vessel is only the beginning of it, and then the work

With the bail secured, the Marine Patrol aircraft is relieved just before having

to refuel.

The crew on the cutter coordinates with the helicopter to return to the bow

well.

The two quick response boats also returned to the ship with the drug and

suspect. We recovered 25 bales, which is about 500 kilograms.

We have them on deck. Right now we're running niktet on the contraband to

confirm that it is in fact cocaine.

A color test of the drugs yields a blue result, confirming it's cocaine.

The next step will be to bring the suspects on board.

The crew will now officially count and process the drugs as evidence to be

submitted to the DEA when the Boutwell returns to port.

At this point, the interdiction is complete, and they will continue their

of the Pacific waters.

But they still need to figure out what to do with the drug boat.

On the previous episode of Drug Wars, Panama's

drug enforcement went after two drug smugglers during a night pursuit.

After finding what could be two packages of drugs and arresting the suspects,

Officers believe they may be hiding some key intel about the narcos they're

working for.

Now, an investigation begins.

No, sir.

No saben?

Bien, les recuerdo.

Ustedes fueron capturados con dos bolsas de presunta cocaína, ¿verdad?

Ya el departamento de... ¿Cómo es, señor?

Quizás su comando llegaron y lo metieron ahí por la zona de nosotros.

Mire, vamos a hacerlo más fácil.

Aquí en Panamá, la ley pena...

hasta 15 años de prisión por el tráfico de droga. ¿Qué necesita mi compañero?

¿Qué necesito yo? ¿Qué necesita mi superior?

De que ustedes colaboren con lo que nosotros les vamos a pedir.

En este momento, están fritos.

La mayoría de esta gente, cuando nunca han sido arrestadas, no saben lo que les

espera. Y uno se lo recalca. Uno debe ver la realidad de la vida, de lo que

puede suceder si no colaboran con nosotros.

Necesitamos saber

The suspects finally admit some involvement in the case, but these

drug kingpins.

They're more like pawns for the narcos who prey on desperate fishermen looking

for fast money.

They told us that they came to the hangar and put a stick, a stick of a

color, with a line, and that there they buried it.

And we had to go back. That came to the box and we

got the money and we got that. We don't know who it was, we don't know anything.

It was all over the phone and we don't know anything, nothing, nothing.

It's a serious fault.

The suspects claim they left some drugs in an area of mangroves,

a popular drop -off point for drug traffickers.

Since this area is off -limits at night due to the dangerous conditions, the

Sanan team has to wait until morning to conduct their search mission.

Temprano en la mañana nos ajustaron de que abordáramos los vehículos, nos

trasladaron al área de los manglares.

Cuando llegamos al área del muelle, tomamos posición, pusimos zona de

O sea, siempre se pone seguridad del área porque tú no sabes quién te está

viendo. Hay que tener mucho cuidado, hay que asegurar el área.

Es muy delicado siempre en este tipo de operaciones.

Nos apuramos en el bote porque nos teníamos que apurar porque ya la marea

bajando.

The area of Manglar.

The mangroves can be a risky environment.

The dense vegetation creates perfect hiding spots for narcos to wait and

intruders. Even worse, the muddy terrain makes it nearly impossible to get to

safety quickly.

U .S. Coast Guard had gone after a boat trafficking drugs in the Pacific.

After an intense chase, they were able to seize a load of 500 kilos and detain

the suspect on board.

Now, officers are ready to continue their patrol, but they still need to

out what to do with the drug boat.

So right now I'm talking with District 11 to determine what we're going to do

with the Panga. There's two options. We either sink it as a hazard navigation,

or we're going to place the Panga in its toe and use it as evidence.

The next morning, the command center gives the okay to sink the boat.

We typically do this because you don't want to leave the vessel afloat.

It's too difficult to tow, and there's no reason to continue to tow it.

So the best thing you can do is to remove this thing as a potential hazard

other vessels that's out there.

This will also serve as training for the crew steering the ship and as target

practice for the shooters.

The 50 Cal, it's a basic Browning M250 Cal machine gun.

We're using ball ammunition to put holes in the water line, and that way

we can hopefully get it sinking faster than normal.

This is the 25 -millimeter chain gun.

Holds 110 rounds. Right now we've only got 55 rounds loaded, and we're using

high -explosive rounds.

The purpose of that is to make this a quick evolution.

There's fuel on board this vessel, so as soon as we get anywhere near that fuel

with one of these rounds, it's going to light up.

Near.

Mount 5 -4, you have batteries released for operational test fire.

Five rounds.

Mount 5 -4, boys, clear. Mount 5 -4, boys, stop.

Very well.

After the initial test fire, the crew is ready to sink the small boat.

Check fire. Check fire. Mount 5 -4.

Mount 5 -4. Missed fire. Missed fire.

300 rounds expended. No apparent casualties. Four is clear.

I'd say they're satisfied with the results as far as it being on fire.

It's just going to burn.

Hopefully we put enough holes in it with the 50 cal to get it filling up with

water.

We'll probably stick around the area, make sure it sinks.

It probably won't be no time before. Probably by the time we're done eating

lunch, it should be gone. So I'd say pretty good.

As the first drug bust of their 90 -day patrol in the Pacific comes to an end,

the U .S. Coast Guard seized 500 kilos worth $22 .5 million and apprehended

three suspects to be turned into authorities when the Boutwell returns to

Diego. When we get a bust, when we have a successful tactical operation,

come to a conclusion.

It's a real satisfying thing when that all comes together and it's a success. I

think it's a pretty important fight that we do, and I'm proud to be a part of

it.

A night patrol in Panama turned into an active drug investigation.

After the two arrested suspects were pressured to reveal secret intel,

Authorities were led to search for a drug stash claimed to be hidden in a

dangerous location of mangroves. But so far, officers haven't found anything.

The tracks were supposedly so fresh that that's an indication that there was a

movement there.

If they see tracks, they have to be careful

and patrol.

They have to look for a fighting attitude, always respecting the rules of

legitimate defense.

In the mangrove you can find small puddles or small rivers that are deep.

You can sink.

So you have all the clothes, the boots, you sink, you get in the mangrove, in

the mud or in the lava.

Then you can't take your foot out because the mangrove or the mud presses,

presses your body. So when you put your foot in, it presses your body, it forms

a kind of chupete.

Officers finally spot a mark, possibly signaling a drug stash.

But after digging several holes, they find nothing.

Ten hours into the exhausting search in the mangroves, all they find are empty

holes. It looks like maybe someone already beat them to the buried drug.

The team must leave empty -handed before the mangroves become too dangerous.

Back at Sinan base, intel officers quickly called back last night's

after they believed the info they gave was just a decoy to buy some time.

According to the evidence, they were already done a long time ago. Now, how

know that you are telling me the truth?

There are burglars.

They took them out.

Burglars? What? I don't know.

They must have taken them out.

It's not the first time we've done this.

We always help those who help us.

And if they give us the name of the owner of the property... What are you

talking about? We don't know anything.

On the other side, they took this, they took it to another place, they buried it

there. There were 40,

there were 40 there, and the others were half and half. The first half was

there, and the other half was... It was on the other side, another cave,

another... On the other side.

Posteriormente, ya conversando con nosotros, comienzan a colaborar hasta

al punto en que nos dicen, ¿dónde tienen una gualeta?

Por la presión psicológica.

Thanks to pressure by intel, the suspects provide another possible

the drugs.

With this info, a second operation is planned to search the caves off the

Pacific coast in the Marieto district of Araguas, Panama.

On the next episode of Drug Ward.

Armed with new intel, Panamanian authorities enter an area of secret cave

could be a key narco hotspot.

And in the streets of Puerto Rico, the increasing drug epidemic has many

facing death.