A Scottish Royal Marines commando shot out the engine of a drug smuggler's speedboat during a £40m cocaine bust in the Caribbean.

The elite sniper brought an end to a six-hour chase by disabling the vessel with a well-placed shot from the back of a helicopter.

The boat was later revealed to have carrying around a tonne of illegal drugs.

The sniper has not been identified but his commanding officer, colonel Jock Fraser, said: "I am delighted that the Maritime Sniper Team from 43 Commando has been able to provide invaluable support to this significant counter-narcotics operation.

"The unit provides Royal Marine Boarding and Maritime Sniper Teams to both RFA and Royal Navy vessels deployed around the world 365 days of the year.

"This successful operation is another example of the contribution 43 Commando teams can make to highly challenging operations."

The 43 Commando Fleet Protection Group is usually responsible for guarding Trident nuclear missiles on the Clyde.

The sniper fired more than a dozen warning shots across the bow of the speedboat before disabling it in waters between Venezuela and Puerto Rico.

US coastguard officers then boarded the vessel and seized about 350kg of cocaine.

They determined the crew of the speedboat had dumped about 650kg of drugs overboard before being captured.

The crew were transferred to a US Coast Guard cutter and handed over to American law enforcement officers on Miami Beach.