A submarine built to smuggle tons of drugs to the US has been discovered in Ecuador.
The twin-propeller, 30-metre (98ft) craft, was being readied for its maiden voyage at a secret shipyard in the jungle.
Partly made of fibreglass, it has a conning tower, periscope and air conditioning More..system, and has the capacity for about 10 metric tons of cargo, a crew of up to six and is able to submerge fully.
Authorities described the yard where it was being built as "sophisticated" - constructed on a jungle estuary several miles from the Colombian border - and had living quarters for at least 50 people.
For years, US and South American law enforcement officials have battled against smugglers using semi-submersible craft that travel just below the surface to avoid detection.
But authorities say the diesel-electric powered submarine is the first designed to travel completely under water on transoceanic voyages.
"Its nautical range, payload capacity and quantum leap in stealth has raised the stakes for counter-drug forces and the national security community alike," said Jay Bergman, Andean regional director for the Drug Enforcement Administration.
"A lot of thought, a lot of resources, went into this."
The Andean region is the world's biggest producer of cocaine and the US represents the largest market.
Nautical engineers will spend the next few days taking apart the submarine to determine more about its dynamics.
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