The U.S. Coast Guard says it has seized greater than 12,800 kilos (6 tons) of cocaine and apprehended 4 suspected drug smugglers from a self-propelled semisubmersible it busted off the coast of Panama earlier this month.

The submersible was first detected by a Customs and Border Protection plane, which notified the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf from Alameda, California resulting in the interception of the vessel about 300 miles southwest of Panama on March 3.

The cocaine discovered on the vessel has a road worth of greater than $203 million. Crews additionally found a loaded gun within the cockpit of the vessel.

After eradicating the medication and different contraband, the U.S. coast guard scuttled the submersible. An earlier assertion from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection stated the vessel sank with the medication. 

Some video launched by the Coast Guard reveals the bust and provides take a look at the vessel:

“Transnational organized crime groups continue to adjust their tactics to avoid detection indicated by a recent rise in the use of SPSS vessels,” stated Vice Adm. Charles Ray, commander, Pacific Area. “Despite these efforts, we will continue to execute an offensive strategy that targets, attacks and disrupts these dangerous criminal networks.”

Since June 2015, the Coast Guard has interdicted 5 self-propelled semisubmersible (SPSS) vessels, that are particularly constructed for illicit trafficking with a low-profile, largely submerged hull. Only a small cockpit and exhaust pipe are seen simply above water, making them extraordinarily tough to detect and interdict.

This is the second SPSS interdiction by the Coast Guard in Fiscal Year 2016, which runs from Oct. 1, 2015, to Sept. 30, 2016. The crew of the USCGC Northland interdicted an SPSS roughly 280-miles southwest of the Mexican-Guatemalan border in January 2016. The suspects in that case scuttled vessel because the Coast Guard arrived on the scene and the suspects have been safely apprehended.

“SPSS interdictions are inherently dangerous, yet we persevere to disrupt the funding sources of illicit organizations causing violence and instability in Central America,” stated Capt. Laura Collins, commanding officer of the Cutter Bertholf. “Our boarding teams are trained to constantly assess and prioritize the safety of our personnel and the SPSS crew during the case.”

The use of SPSSs’ for smuggling have been identified because the first one was intercepted in 2012. Since then, a number of interdictions and different instances have contributed to the Coast Guard eradicating greater than 319,000 kilos of cocaine in Fiscal Year 2015. The Coast Guard has already eliminated greater than 201,000 kilos in Fiscal Year 2016.