lies . ▁V iet ▁Cong ▁sw imm ers ▁were ▁poor ly ▁equ ipped ▁but ▁well - tra ined ▁and ▁resource ful . ▁The ▁sw imm ers ▁provided ▁a ▁low - cost / low - ris k ▁option ▁with ▁high ▁pay off ; ▁possible ▁loss ▁to ▁the ▁country ▁for ▁failure ▁compared ▁to ▁the ▁possible ▁g ains ▁from ▁a ▁successful ▁mission ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁obvious ▁conclusion ▁the ▁sw immer ▁sab ote urs ▁were ▁a ▁good ▁idea . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Cold ▁War ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 ▁January ▁ 1 9 8 4 , ▁the ▁C us cat lan ▁bridge ▁over ▁Lem pa ▁river ▁in ▁El ▁Salvador , ▁critical ▁to ▁flow ▁of ▁commercial ▁and ▁military ▁traffic , ▁was ▁destroyed ▁by ▁gu err illa ▁forces ▁using ▁explos ives ▁after ▁using ▁mort ar ▁fire ▁to ▁" sc atter " ▁the ▁bridge ' s ▁gu ards , ▁causing ▁an ▁estimated ▁$ 3 . 7 ▁million ▁in ▁required ▁rep airs , ▁and ▁consider ably ▁impact ing ▁on ▁El ▁Salvador an ▁business ▁and ▁security . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁in ▁H ond uras , ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁nine ▁Salvador ans ▁and ▁Nic ar agu ans ▁destroyed ▁a ▁main ▁elect rical ▁power ▁station , ▁leaving ▁the ▁capital ▁city ▁T eg uc ig al pa ▁without ▁power ▁for ▁three ▁days . ▁ ▁As ▁crime ▁ ▁Some ▁crim inals ▁have ▁engaged ▁in ▁acts ▁of ▁sab ot age ▁for ▁reasons ▁of ▁ext ort ion . ▁For ▁example , ▁Klaus - Peter ▁Sab otta ▁sab ot aged ▁German ▁railway ▁lines ▁in ▁the ▁late