What incentive does Portuguese authorities have to do this, especially considering the cocaine would've likely just been shipped off to buyers in other parts of the EU and not affect Portugal as much
The article kind of buries it but it was intercepted near the Azores, which are Portuguese territory and policed accordingly. They weren't patrolling in the middle of nowhere.
Also they probably got spotted by drone or something before the surface vessels got sent in to check it out.
gooseus•2h ago
Which is why the title says "seized", and not "torpedoed".
kamikazeturtles•2h ago
Well, they did sink the submarine
_--__--__•2h ago
from the linked press release, I'm assuming DEA tipped off the Euro agencies that the sub was headed their way
defrost•35m ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maritime_Analysis_and_Operatio...
The US isn't the only country with agents blending in on the supply side keeping eyes and ears on activity.
The EU end has had repeated success infiltrating and cracking 'encrypted' criminal networks on the demand side of such markets.