As the third largest ship in the world, the Juan Sebastián de Elcano housed 70 trainees enrolled in the Spanish Navy. When three officers - two Spanish, one Ecuadorian - boarded the 87-year-old ship, it was not known that the vessel would be used for any criminal activity.

However, the three officers had been recruited to make a highly illegal excursion to New York - specifically, to smuggle $400,000 worth of cocaine across the ocean.

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On Aug. 2, 127 kilos of leftover cocaine had been discovered on the Juan Sebastián de Elcano by Spanish authorities.

The amount of cocaine would have been valued at roughly $2.5 million, and it had been concealed among the vessel's reserve sails.

Throughout their investigation, Spanish authorities were able to discover both the drug's trade route and its link to the three officers - dating back to the cocaine delivery in May 2014.

The authorities discovered that the accused officers had come across a group of Colombian drug dealers while their ship had been docked in Cartagena de Indias.

The officers were then recruited by the drug dealers to take a part in smuggling the cocaine to New York.

The journey itself had taken the three officers six months.

To avoid appearing suspicious, the officers had boarded the ship at separate times while hiding the cocaine in their clothes.

After docking in New York, the three officers managed to successfully deliver approximately 20 kilos of cocaine to their Colombian accomplices.

The Colombian drug dealers were arrested shortly thereafter.

Though the officers managed to evade New York unscathed, they were soon after arrested and charged with drug trafficking on July 12^th, when they had reached Spain.

Upon their arrest, the three were then taken to the capital's Alcala-Meco military prison.

 The officers may receive a prison sentence of up to six years. 

TagsJuan Sebastian de Elcano, Spain, Spanish Navy, Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, cocaine, drug trafficking