Party On...And on and on...

[robert angel]

South Florida, including of course the Keys, is still a channel for a whole lot of drugs. They're loving the Seven Marine out board motors. Last time we were down there, they were running----just assuming they were 'stock' and not modified, quad 557 horse power boats, from about 42 feet and up. Kevlar hulls, blacked out, very minimalist but scary looking boats that could cruise all day at 55--60 MPH or run well above 70 MPH for shorter periods, using all four motors at once..

The people coming off these boats, unlike the typical power,  racing boats/teams, didn't seem to want to engage in 'small talk' nor appear too happy about people taking pictures, in fact they were more inclined to anchor their boats off shore, coming in on smaller boats.

Rumour has it that amongst their electronics are stealth devices that basically make them invisible to radar,  just like the US military (Navy, etc.) uses. No matter, no US Coast Guard or other drug interdiction boats can keep up with them. About their only vunerability is being spotted by air by helicopter and then having the boat's engines (and whatever other part of the boat they want) shot out from the sky.

Now Seven Marine's making 627's with, you guessed it, 627 HP per motor--stock anyway.... I'm sure the electronics are always being upgraded too. Imagine a 42 ft Kevlar (same, light weight material they use for bullet proof vests) boat, with over 2500 HP hanging off the back, racing propellers and all. Amazing they even stay in the water w/o ripping off their stabilizer tabs, torquing them selves up and out like rockets, but a heavy pay load up front helps stabilize things. I used to run my bay/sound/river boats with sand bags under the front deck, to keep 'the chop' of the sea's waves from beating me up.

There's videos online that show these boats running----well, those owned by somewhat more 'normal' law abiding citizens anyways.

I've been over 100 MPH in tunnel hull racing boats before and between the rush from speed alone, knowing that if you hit anything at that speed----be it a big sea turtle, manatee, flotsam etc., that you're a dead man, it makes the hair on your balls bristle. Been there, done that -- no death wish desire to try it again.

Now, they've got tunnel hull race boats that run over 140 MPH and incredibly, can go from a zero standstill, to 100 MPH in SIX seconds.

I'll settle on just to keep wishing for my 'land version'--a Porsche Turbo S, that will run zero to 60 in 2.5 seconds, a quarter mile in around ten, 205 MPH top speed (factory stock, not 'chipped out') and is so utterly reliable, that your Mom could also drive it every day to the grocery market and church. Priced at 188K new, it's a bargain compared to anything that comes close in performance. Gets 5 more miles per gallon than my Lexus too, lol.

Not as sexy looking as the Italian cars, or even the Vettes and Vipers, but it's whuppped all but a handful of cars out there, each of which typically cost five to ten times as much and even then, you wouldn't trust them to travel long distance--finicky cats...A Porsche 918 Spyder will from the factory, run 2.3 zero to 60 and run the quarter mile in the 9's, but at around 1.5 million USD used, it's up there pricewise with the top five exotics in not just performance, price and maintenance requirements,  but in not being suitable as a 'daily driver' either.

As they say: "Porsche: there is NO subtitute"

[Awesome]

South Florida, including of course the Keys, is still a channel for a whole lot of drugs. They're loving the Seven Marine out board motors. Last time we were down there, they were running----just assuming they were 'stock' and not modified, quad 557 horse power boats, from about 42 feet and up. Kevlar hulls, blacked out, very minimalist but scary looking boats that could cruise all day at 55--60 MPH or run well above 70 MPH for shorter periods, using all four motors at once..

The people coming off these boats, unlike the typical power,  racing boats/teams, didn't seem to want to engage in 'small talk' nor appear too happy about people taking pictures, in fact they were more inclined to anchor their boats off shore, coming in on smaller boats.

Rumour has it that amongst their electronics are stealth devices that basically make them invisible to radar,  just like the US military (Navy, etc.) uses. No matter, no US Coast Guard or other drug interdiction boats can keep up with them. About their only vunerability is being spotted by air by helicopter and then having the boat's engines (and whatever other part of the boat they want) shot out from the sky.

Now Seven Marine's making 627's with, you guessed it, 627 HP per motor--stock anyway.... I'm sure the electronics are always being upgraded too. Imagine a 42 ft Kevlar (same, light weight material they use for bullet proof vests) boat, with over 2500 HP hanging off the back, racing propellers and all. Amazing they even stay in the water w/o ripping off their stabilizer tabs, torquing them selves up and out like rockets, but a heavy pay load up front helps stabilize things. I used to run my bay/sound/river boats with sand bags under the front deck, to keep 'the chop' of the sea's waves from beating me up.

There's videos online that show these boats running----well, those owned by somewhat more 'normal' law abiding citizens anyways.

I've been over 100 MPH in tunnel hull racing boats before and between the rush from speed alone, knowing that if you hit anything at that speed----be it a big sea turtle, manatee, flotsam etc., that you're a dead man, it makes the hair on your balls bristle. Been there, done that -- no death wish desire to try it again.

Now, they've got tunnel hull race boats that run over 140 MPH and incredibly, can go from a zero standstill, to 100 MPH in SIX seconds.

I'll settle on just to keep wishing for my 'land version'--a Porsche Turbo S, that will run zero to 60 in 2.5 seconds, a quarter mile in around ten, 205 MPH top speed (factory stock, not 'chipped out') and is so utterly reliable, that your Mom could also drive it every day to the grocery market and church. Priced at 188K new, it's a bargain compared to anything that comes close in performance. Gets 5 more miles per gallon than my Lexus too, lol.

Not as sexy looking as the Italian cars, or even the Vettes and Vipers, but it's whuppped all but a handful of cars out there, each of which typically cost five to ten times as much and even then, you wouldn't trust them to travel long distance--finicky cats...A Porsche 918 Spyder will from the factory, run 2.3 zero to 60 and run the quarter mile in the 9's, but at around 1.5 million USD used, it's up there pricewise with the top five exotics in not just performance, price and maintenance requirements,  but in not being suitable as a 'daily driver' either.

As they say: "Porsche: there is NO subtitute"

I had(haven't seen him in a while) a Colombian buddy from Buenaventura who used to to tell me about those makeshift high power boats that they use for drug running.  They would take off from some obscure part of the Colombian coast in the middle of the night and were trying to make it to somewhere in Central America, I think Costa Rica.  He said they recruited boys who came from the poorest, most gang infested areas, basically guys who have no fear of anything.  The motors were so powerful and not meant to be on that size boat, that it was like a 50/50 chance of making it alive to the destination.  If you make it to the other side you make more money than you could've ever dreamed, but if you don't make it you probably die in a crash or get caught by the navy/coast guard.


Buenaventura is an interesting city in Colombia.  Almost completely off limits to tourists and almost completely controlled by drug gangs, and pretty much all black Afro Colombians living there.  In Houston I've met a few people from there and they always say they're from Cali but when I get to know them better they admit they're from Buenaventura.  These are all guys who look like somebody you DO NOT want to mess with.  My buddy who told me about the drug running boats told me he'd arrived in the US on a barge in the Port of Houston as a stowaway lol.  Imagine that hiding on a huge barge, then sneaking into the country.  I guess at some point he jumped off the barge and swam to shore.

[robert angel]

I had(haven't seen him in a while) a Colombian buddy from Buenaventura who used to to tell me about those makeshift high power boats that they use for drug running.  They would take off from some obscure part of the Colombian coast in the middle of the night and were trying to make it to somewhere in Central America, I think Costa Rica.  He said they recruited boys who came from the poorest, most gang infested areas, basically guys who have no fear of anything.  The motors were so powerful and not meant to be on that size boat, that it was like a 50/50 chance of making it alive to the destination.  If you make it to the other side you make more money than you could've ever dreamed, but if you don't make it you probably die in a crash or get caught by the navy/coast guard.


Buenaventura is an interesting city in Colombia.  Almost completely off limits to tourists and almost completely controlled by drug gangs, and pretty much all black Afro Colombians living there.  In Houston I've met a few people from there and they always say they're from Cali but when I get to know them better they admit they're from Buenaventura.  These are all guys who look like somebody you DO NOT want to mess with.  My buddy who told me about the drug running boats told me he'd arrived in the US on a barge in the Port of Houston as a stowaway lol.  Imagine that hiding on a huge barge, then sneaking into the country.  I guess at some point he jumped off the barge and swam to shore.

Yea, I've been all over the Florida Keys, since I was a pimple faced kid. Seen people come across using inner tubes tied together, get "one foot on dry land" and US Immigration HAD to let them stay legally. Loved it, clapping like crazy, gIving them food if I had some, maybe a couple bucks. Better than any ballgame. Seen immigration send people just yards off shore, almost there, but 'still wet' -- back to Cuba too. Booed the bastards, but they were just doing their job.

Used to drink with the gringo drug runners --then modern day pirates, and they were a happy go lucky bunch, quick to buy me a drink, or give me contraband, shoot the breeze, etc. Only guys close to them down there nowadays are the guys who go out for days, looking, diving for treasure wrecks, for the old Spanish gold, silver, emeralds, etc.

 Some of them strike it rich, most don't and too many die trying.

 Used to scour the beaches after word of a bust or boat wrecking storm, looking for what we called 'square grouper'= bales of pot and/or cocaine tossed, 'bailed' overboard to avoid getting caught with, or from boats wrecked from bad weather,  sinking from blown bilge pumps, from fuel fumes catching a spark, blowing em up. Bad luck for them for sure, but for a sharp beach comber, better than Christmas presents, back in the day.

Love the Jimmy Buffet line from one of his early (1974) tunes: "Pirate looks at 40"

"Made enough money to buy Miami, but I pissed it away so fast. Never meant to last. Never meant to last....."

Story of my life, lol, except Jimmy, who I recall watching as a kid playing solo on Duvall Street by The Bull and Whistle, with his hat in front of him, busking for small change, is worth four hundred milllion dollars today. That's more than Sir Mick or Sir Elton....

And he's a great guy, still as humble as the day is long. Still has that vibe from when living is KW was inexpensive and super laid back, with zero commercial chains. The last resort. One of his dozen plus homes is still an Oldtown KW style bunglow, down the block from my parent's home. Hoping one of these days, I'll run into him again and talk him into a ride in his vintage sea plane, actually. That'd be a gas. Hell, I put at least a $1.75 into his hat, the dude owes me, lol

But THESE days, you catch one of those guys from one of those L.A. dope running crews, on dry land, you don't even THINK about making small talk. Nothing like asking 'Whadda ya got under dem four engine cowlings?" (Besides 627 HP apiece)

Been a long time, but a ferry used to run from KW to Mexico's Yucatan. Quintana Roo's really pretty close by sea, Los Zetas cartel is well in control there and we get incomings from there that slip by and into US waters like snakes in tall grass. And anybody who knows anything about the Zetas, knows you don't f____ with them unless you're well armed, ruthless and with the best in high technology.

If you guys don't believe half the stuff I already write, I'll just skip the stuff about my misadventures in Quintana Roo, before Cancun became popular and Cozumel was still a little fishing village. Let's just say, I'm somewhat amazed that I'm still alive and can even remember them myself!

[buencamino3]

I stayed at a very nice hotel in Buenaventura called Hotel Los Delfines. It's right on the Malecon and every floor has a large balcony facing west so you get spectacular views of the sun setting over the pacific. It was several years ago but the price was about $45.000. It was the equal of something in the $100.000 to 150.000 in Cali. You can walk out of the lobby and right across the street are some nice fish restaurants. If anyone has occasion to go to Buenaventura I highly recommend it.


Those "go fast" boats are supposed to be able to reach Central America in two days. Some of them use four two hundred horsepower outboards. In many cases the boats aren't even reused. They're scuttled when they reach their destination. A huge expense but considered part of doing business.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82FmQKwa6PI

[robert angel]

Those "go fast" boats are supposed to be able to reach Central America in two days. Some of them use four two hundred horsepower outboards. In many cases the boats aren't even reused. They're scuttled when they reach their destination. A huge expense but considered part of doing business.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82FmQKwa6PI

Wow, BC3-----impressive video footage. When you're running 360+ million USD value in drugs per trip on one not so big boat, you can see how the expensive boat might be seen as 'disposable.' If 3 or 4 out of 5 trips are successful, they still come out ahead.

I mentioned how they're using Kevlar hulled speed boats, placing four of Seven Marine's outstanding, 627 horsepower engines on the stern, pushing (if factory stock) a total of over 2500 horsepower. Trim/stabilizer tabs to keep them from 'launching.'

They have radar jammers and other high tech devices, but once a couple of USCG turbo powered helicopters get a laser lock (standard USCG choppers do in excess of 200 MPH and carry at least three heavy weapons), increasingly they're able to blow the whole back of the boat off.

But the cartels are also using one million dollar + submarines, equipped to quickly be scuttled if detected, with both sides using encrypted radios, etc.

But there's always a faster pussy cat and a better mouse trap...

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/watch-the-coast-guard-make-the-biggest-narco-submarine-1722989187

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/this-secret-uscg-program-saw-exotic-armed-choppers-take-1690581460

You can be sure that once the people in the little fishing village saw the situation, they were soon off shore, 'trawling' for those bales of coke,  watching the shore for wash ups of valuable 'square grouper' as we used call it in the Florida Keys. Beats regular 'fishing' profit wise.

At 330 nautical miles from parts of Yucatan, Mexico, controlled by the Los Zetas cartel, to the Florida Keys, I'd imagine they can make the run in under 5 hours. At one point, Cuba's only about 17 mIles off the best route and known to be sympathetic to some cartels.