Portugal intercepts a semi-submersible vessel loaded with cocaine

LISBON, Portugal — Portuguese police have seized a semi-submersible vessel transporting 6.5 tons of cocaine destined for Europe, authorities in Lisbon said Tuesday.

Portuguese officials said that they arrested five crew members after intercepting the vessel in the Atlantic Ocean around 500 nautical miles south of the Azores. The operation also included the Portuguese Air Force and Navy and Spain’s Civil Guard, along with assistance from the United States’ DEA and British authorities.

Portuguese police described the crew as allegedly belonging to an international criminal organization. They said that the operation happened recently, without specifying the date.

European authorities occasionally nab homemade semi-submersibles transporting drugs from South America that lie low in the water to escape detection but rarely are able to fully submerge.