Portugal’s Seizure of Narco-Submarine Exposes Growing Threat to Western Security

In a striking demonstration of evolving criminal tactics, Portuguese law enforcement intercepted a narco-submarine carrying more than nine tons of cocaine approximately 230 nautical miles from the Azores archipelago. This represents Europe’s largest narcotics seizure by vessel to date and underscores a serious escalation in the transatlantic drug trade. The operation, dubbed 'Adamastor,' was conducted through close cooperation among Portuguese police, the UK’s National Crime Agency, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and several European partners. Yet while this multinational effort achieved success, it also lays bare vulnerabilities that demand urgent attention from American national security planners. Is America Prepared...