Another surreal story based in Galicia. In november 2019 a narco-submarine entered Galicia, after a long travel all from Colombia. The sub was called the ‘Che’ and was the first narcosub that crossed the Atlantic Ocean and be discovered. It was all but an easy and comfortable trip, and all but an easy catch for the police. This incredible journey is now explored in a book by Galician journalist Javier Romero and shot in a sensational mini series on Amazon Prime. Go watch and read it!
What is the story Operation Black Tide about?
Okay, first the story. What happened? In Colombia is build a serious narco-submarine, named ‘Che’. To be hones, this is not unfamiliar. Yearly about 30 to 40 narcosubs are intercepted in the South American country. But it never happened that a sub got intercepted in Europe after crossing the Atlantic Ocean.
The ‘Che’ is about 21 metres long and has space for about 3.000 kilograms of Cocaine. As you can see below most space is used for fuel. You need quite some fuel to cross an ocean.
Oh, and yes, there is also some space left for the crew. This wasn’t a luxury cruise trip for the crew. There was barely space left for them. A claustrophobic cabin where it wasn’t even possible for the crew of three to all sit together.
Think that’s all for the crew? They had to travel for 28 days and it wasn’t a quiet trip. The sub had motor problems already in South America, got into storms in the Atlantic and almost crossed into a large ship. It was thanks to Agustín Álvarez, a former Spanish boxing champion who also had navigation skills, that they made it through the ocean. Álvarez is from Galicia and got the ship going. But also Álvarez couldn’t prevent them from being discovered. Thanks to his sailing skills and knowledge of the Galician coast he managed to get the boat to the land. What happend then? Well, you already know the sub got intercepted. But it wasn’t an easy catch, as you can read in the book or watch in the series!
The book by Javier Romero – Operation Black Tide / Operación Marea Negra
The story of building and journey of the Che got reconstructed by the Galician journalist Javier Romero, who normally writes as drug trafficking expert for La Voz de Galicia, Galicia’s main news paper. We have to thank Romero for bringing this crazy story to us. Without him no book and Prime series.
In his book he explores the journey. How and where was the sub made? How was the crew arranged? What happend on the trip? How was it to be on the sub? And off course, why Galicia?
Amazon prime video series Operation Black Tide / Operación Marea Negra
Want more action? Then watch the series! Amazon Prime brings the history of the Che to your screen in a mini series. It contains 4 episodes of 50 minutes full of action.
Please note: the series are inspired on the book by Romero, not based on the history. According the director this gave them more freedom to make it an exciting series. What this means? More fiction. What this results on? More action. Watch the trailer below and you’ll see.
Like watching the series and want to know more about the real history, but don’t like reading the book? Amazon Prime will also stream a documentary in which the real events will be explored.
It’s not the best story to promote Galicia. But this history is part of the region. Galicia is and has been the main entrance to Europe for South American cocaine. Don’t worry, as a tourist you won’t notice anything from it. Want to know more about this? Watch the Netflix series Cocaine Coast, this series is bases on the real history.
