• Friday, September 19,2025

ISA Hosts Virtual Expert Session on Evolving Maritime Smuggling Threats

The General Secretariat of the International Security Alliance, through its Maritime Ports Expert Group, convened the group’s eighth session under the theme: Transforming Maritime Smuggling Methods: The Seizure of the First Fully Unmanned Drug Submarine and Its Implications for International Port Security Strategies. The virtual meeting brought together international experts and specialists to share insights, exchange information, and analyze the latest trends in maritime smuggling, as well as explore strategies to counter them.

A key highlight of the session was a presentation by the Colombian Navy, delivered by Commander Victor Gonzalez, Director of the International Maritime Research and Analysis Center for Combating Drug Trafficking (CMCON). Commander Gonzalez detailed the landmark operation conducted on July 2, 2025, in which the Colombian Navy intercepted the world’s first fully unmanned drug submarine. This breakthrough case marks a pivotal shift in maritime smuggling tactics, underscoring how criminal networks are increasingly leveraging unmanned autonomous systems to transport illicit substances. Such innovations present unprecedented challenges to law enforcement and global port security agencies.

The discussions emphasized the urgent need to develop adaptive international maritime security strategies capable of addressing these emerging threats, while also strengthening cross-border cooperation and the exchange of expertise among ISA member states.

The session drew 68 participants from 17 countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Colombia, Ireland, the Kingdom of Bahrain, France, the United Kingdom, Benin, Germany, Italy, Slovakia, China, Portugal, Denmark, Spain, Brazil, Singapore, and Peru.