Original subtitles

On this episode of Drug Wars, Panama's Border Patrol battles Colombian cartels

attempting new trafficking routes along an indigenous region.

And the U .S. Coast Guard and the U .S. Navy meet in the middle of the Pacific

to transfer more than 11 ,000 kilos of drugs.

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.

The U .S. Coast Guard Cutter Bowell is beginning its 90 -day deployment in

Operation Martillo, joining the fight against cartels moving drugs up towards

the U .S.

For a few months, we come downrange here to the eastern Pacific in the detection

and monitoring phase of the counter -drug operations, stopping primarily go

-fasts and pangas.

The drugs essentially equate to...

costing the U .S. roughly $183 billion.

There's a million law enforcement personnel in the United States, and the

amount of cocaine they get a year is about 10 tons.

We can get 10 tons.

on the high seas on a good weekend. We get some of the best bang for our buck

conducting Operation Martillo. Operation Martillo is not only a multinational

effort, but also a joint task force where Coast Guard, Navy, Customs and

Protection, Border Patrol, DEA, all work together under one operation.

We constantly work closely with the Navy.

We have an embarked lead on board their vessel, so it allows us to use their

assets with our people embarked.

What this does is allows us to capitalize on all the resources the U

government has to wage this fight against the drug runners at sea.

And today is no different, with the Boutwell conducting its second drug

from a Navy ship in the past few days.

After working with the USS Vandergriff, now they will receive a transfer of

multiple drug seizures from the USS Ingraham.

We went ahead and planned our operation to rendezvous with the Ingraham to

conduct the transfer.

upwards to 10 or 11 tons of contraband. Currently prepping our small boats and

getting our contraband team in place. The street value of the 11 tons for this

transfer is estimated to be around $495 million.

Moving this large amount of drugs from one ship to the other in open ocean is

very difficult and requires careful planning. We have two small boats, and

usually we have four cargo nets. And what we do is they load up the cargo

They drop them onto, like, where we have our engine case.

They come over here. We use our single -point davit to actually bring the stuff

on board. And then from there, we'll just stack it, count it, verify that

everything's there that they say they're giving to us. Once that's done, then

we'll actually store it.

U .S. Coast Guard is a law enforcement agency.

unlike the Navy, who provides military support.

So taking custody of the drugs is crucial for further prosecution and

investigation.

Coast Guard officers must store the drugs in a sealed and secure cabin due

the toxic nature and high value of the contraband.

Here are locations that are under control lock and key.

So right now what we're going to do is we're going to open up this hatch.

and then we're going to bring that J -bar davit right there, and we're going

load this stuff up into canvas bags and lower it all the way down to our gym,

which is about three stories down.

And then from there, there's a space for that. It's our number two magazine, and

we're going to load up that mag with all the contraband here on deck.

One of the biggest challenges when we do stuff like this is just keeping

everything organized.

Each case has its own FDIN, so just making sure that we get on board,

for what they say they're giving us.

And then at that point, we can stow it. But, I mean, even then, we're putting a

lot of the same cases in the same spaces. So what we've got to do is put

down there and put a label on them and just make sure that, you know, they're

secure for sea so there's not stuff falling around.

While we're conducting this transfer, we're expediting this transfer to

bring on the contraband and get it stowed.

With most of the crew busy on deck, officers in the bridge receive word

possible smuggling operation in the area.

We currently have received updated information on a case that's unfolding.

Okay, thank you.

155 at 14 nautical miles.

We've just received word that the target of interest is closer than we initially

thought, and we're bringing online a turbine to make best speed towards the

target of interest.

Senefront, Panama's elite border patrol, has set up base on Nargana.

the most developed island in the province of Gunayala.

This indigenous region is the strategic point for narcos due to its close

proximity to Colombia.

Sena Front Base in Gunayala is next to the village, not only in an effort to

into the community, but also for the constant flow of intel from local

informants.

A group of smugglers from Colombia are stashing drugs in Isla Cambombia.

Smugglers usually choose deserted islands and begin to stash drugs until

have enough for a bigger boat to come pick them up.

They spoke of three men. Three men who came.

Magnificent. Álvarez, get the personnel ready.

Where is Captain Pérez?

He's in Castillo, sir.

While he comes here, the convoy goes to another boat from here to there and

closes it so that it corrals in both directions.

Correct, sir.

Proceed.

Personnel, reserve the base.

Let's go, fast, fast, to the armory.

Let's go, let's go. There are 365 islands.

that there is in this archipelago that lends itself to hide, that

lends itself to do the night trade because they are shallow waters.

If there is someone who knows the sector, it is easily mobilized from

island until it reaches a comfortable point where a drug trade transaction can

be made.

The drug trafficker is going to take care of his cargo.

Very few times do you have resistance, but you have to be prepared for any

circumstance. And the police are prepared for any situation.

Veitia, you know, exterminate the security measure, secure the point,

caught. Captain Pérez must be on his way.

Agree so that they arrive at the same time.

Copy that, sir.

The interdiction unit is speeding to Isla Cambombia, where Colombian

are possibly hiding drugs, maybe even weapons.

Not knowing what to expect, center front unit, prepare for the worst.

Center front spots the island and decides to approach it from the south.

The north of the island is covered in jungle, and a perfect spot for smugglers

to hide.

The units are divided into two teams, Alpha and Bravo.

They split and quickly head into heavy vegetation to camouflage themselves

before the smugglers or guards see them.

After completing the gruesome task of transferring some 11 ,000 kilos of drugs

from U .S. Navy ship Ingraham, the Cutter gets new intel about smugglers in

area.

Ingraham, Cutter 5 -1, just doing time check on Navy Red so we can avoid open

transit. We've got some intel there might be a go -fast in the area,

and the chase is on.

Now we're working with the Ingraham.

They launch their helo, and then we'll use our OTH to kind of do the endgame.

Both ships soon get underway and begin to make good speed towards the target.

But it will be nighttime once they reach their location.

Ideally, I would love to have the interdictions happen during the day,

it makes it a lot easier to keep track of what's going on.

But for a lot of reasons, the timing doesn't often work out.

so that we end up doing it when we're able to do it.

So it looks like this will be another nighttime interdiction.

In the dead of the night, both ships reach their position and begin to ready

their crew for a possible interdiction.

District 11, District 11, cut about well, cut about well.

MPA is overhead, spotting a TOI heading northbound at 20 knots.

Our intentions are to close the distance to 1 -5 nautical miles and launch

Luchador 2 -8.

followed by the OTH.

Meanwhile, a Marine Patrol aircraft gives a bird's -eye view of the possible

smugglers. All right, guys, so we have MPA overhead of a northbound Panga.

They're on a course of 010 degrees true, paying about 15 knots.

You guys will be the primary air asset to interdict the Panga.

How far from territorial sea zone?

We're about 150 knuckle miles from territorial sea, and what we'll do is

keep the MPA.

Covert until you guys are ready to go and hopefully get a successful launch.

We'll head down and start getting ready.

While officers rush to get the chopper airborne, the plane above plots new

coordinates and a possible intercept course.

Back in Panama, Centerfront receives intel that led them to a deserted

possibly being used by traffickers with stash of drugs coming from Colombia.

We are going to go out here on the beach.

Supposedly they are here.

According to the coordinates that they gave us, they are kept here.

We arrived and took the plane.

Amidst the thick jungle, an agent spots one of the smugglers guarding the area.

Team Alpha manages to capture one of the suspects.

They relay the news to their captain, while intel officers prepare to

interrogate the smuggler.

Look at me. There's no hook, there's no trasmission, there's nothing.

Look at me.

Trust me, I'm going to help you. If you collaborate with the authorities, you're

going to get public knowledge.

How many of you are there?

They're out there in the mountains.

But how many are there?

Only two of us.

You and the other one?

Yes, yes. And where's the other one?

The other one is out there in the mountains, inside.

How is he dressed?

Well, he's wearing a green sweater.

The suspect admits being part of the smuggling operation and confirms he is

working alone on the island.

Team Bravo quickly begins a manhunt through the jungle to find the second

suspect.

But by now, he could have already fled with the drugs after hearing the

of the operation.

Panama's border patrol got intel about a drug stash on an island in Panama in

the indigenous province of Gunayala.

After surprising and interrogating one of the suspects, Centerfront is combing

the area in search of a second suspect under the drug.

Santa Front now has two suspects in custody.

Both fit the usual profile of desperate fishermen hoping to make quick, easy

money by transporting drugs for the cartel.

The unit is confident the intel was accurate, and these are the smugglers

are looking for.

Do you know him?

No. You don't know him?

You're lying to me.

How many of you are there?

Three.

Three? Where's the other one? He went to fix the

engine propeller.

Wait. We have to keep an eye on Nargana. We have someone who can fix a propeller

so he can tell the team we have there.

Finally, one of the suspects confirms there's a third smuggler at large who

to town looking for boat repairs.

Pressure from the intel agent soon pays off as one of the suspects agrees to

lead them to the drugs, hoping to reduce his crime.

There is a lot of drug movement in the sector. One, because of the

of the sector. And two, because the drug trafficker looks for ways to make

money. We no longer see those boats that caught a ton of drugs, 800 kilos.

We see more continuous small boats.

The drug trafficker or the drug trafficker is looking for the means of

or how to achieve the objective.

to be able to sell their products to get the money.

even with one suspect already cooperating agents are cautious the

be leading them to a trap all units remain alert

Back in the Pacific, off the coast of Guatemala, the U .S. Coast Guard is on a

night operation to locate and intercept a target with drug traffickers moving at

high speeds.

First, it's a standard panga, about 30 feet in length, canoe -shaped.

There's two people on board, two outboard engines.

And once the copter arrives on scene, we'll get more details.

The helo hits the skies quickly.

equipped with high -tech vision sensors that help with search and rescue

missions, and for this case, locate the possible narco fast boat.

The U .S. Coast Guard's quick response boat, known as an OTH, is launched into

the water.

Right now we're just trying to get on heat as fast as possible so that the

can either disable or at least have a good idea of what the small boat's

Non -combat, Fleet Store 2 -8 has reported that the TOI is jettisoning in

position. The smugglers have jettisoned the contraband.

The vessel hasn't stopped, so we've gone into a full -blown go -fast pursuit

case.

Soon, a hot pursuit begins. The smugglers show no sign of stopping and

toss bales of contraband in the water.

Now, the helicopter crew prepares to raise the stakes and considers firing

warning shots at the smugglers.

We make the decision to deploy use of force when we've determined that the

is not going to stop.

It's not going to comply to the order to keep to.

Use of force is using warning shots and disabling fire

to compel the vessel to stop. I could do precision warning shots with the 240.

All right, I'm down.

Combat, Luchador 2 -8 has disabled the TOI in position 1 -1, 1 -2 north,

0 -9 -1, 1 -2 west.

We will now be sending OTH inbound to take positive control.

Maneuver the cutter to course 0 -1 -0 to close the distance.

On the next episode of Drug Wars.

Panama's border patrol continues the mission to capture a group of Colombian

drug smugglers in the indigenous region of Gunayala.

Meanwhile,

the U .S. Coast Guard is about to intercept a fast boat smuggling drugs.

when an unidentified boat appears out of nowhere and changes the entire

operation. Please deconflict the space before implementing warning shots and

disabling fire to avoid a blue -on -blue incident.