Colombia’s government is developing an unusual plan to convert naval vessels into high-security prisons for some of the country’s most dangerous criminal leaders. President Abelardo de la Espriella has ordered officials to move forward with the proposal, which is being studied by the defence and justice ministries together with the national prison authority, INPEC. The central aim is to cut imprisoned crime bosses off from their organisations after authorities acknowledged that some continue to coordinate extortion, drug trafficking and other crimes from behind bars through mobile phones and intermediaries. Officials have not yet announced how many vessels would be used, where they would be stationed or exactly when the system could begin operating.
The proposal forms part of the new administration’s broader hard-line security strategy, which also includes plans for new maximum-security prisons. Days earlier, De la Espriella ordered 20 inmates transferred from Barranquilla to prisons in Bogotá in an effort to prevent criminal networks from continuing to operate from inside detention facilities. Holding selected prisoners aboard naval vessels could make communication and escape attempts far more difficult, but the idea is also expected to raise questions over detention conditions, access to lawyers and families, and human-rights protections. The project remains under development, meaning Colombia has not yet begun routinely holding its most dangerous prisoners at sea. Sources: Colombian Presidency, Ministry of Defence, INPEC, AFP and El País.
