CAUGHT ON VIDEO: Coast Guard Seizes 6+ Tons Of Cocaine From 'Semisubmersible'

ALAMEDA, Calif. (CBSNewYork) - The Coast Guard has released dramatic video of a crew intercepting a "self-propelled semisubmersible," or SPSS, loaded with cocaine off the coast of Panama earlier this month.

The Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf was alerted to the presence of the SPSS after it was spotted by Customs and Border Protection Aircraft, the Coast Guard said.

Body camera video shows Coast Guardsmen with their guns pointed at the smuggling suspects as they board the SPSS. Coast Guardsmen found a loaded gun in the vehicle's cockpit. They found more than 12,800 pounds of cocaine on board the vessel.

"SPSS interdictions are inherently dangerous, yet we persevere to disrupt the funding sources of illicit organizations causing violence and instability in Central America," said Capt. Laura Collins, commanding officer of the Cutter Bertholf. "Our boarding teams are trained to constantly assess and prioritize the safety of our personnel and the SPSS crew during the case."

It's the fifth time the Coast Guard has intercepted a semisubmersible since June of last year. The vehicles have a mostly submerged hull - only their cockpit and exhaust pipe are above the the water. Their low profile makes them hard to detect.