On January 12, Spanish police, in cooperation with the navy, carried out a special operation recognized as the largest cocaine seizure in the history of open waters. A vessel traveling from Brazil to Europe was found to be carrying 10 tons of narcotics. The smuggling attempt was uncovered amid an ongoing crackdown on transnational drug networks originating in Latin America, a region affected by instability during the period associated with the rule of Nicolás Maduro.
The ship, sailing under the Cameroon flag, was transporting cocaine hidden among shipments of salt. The drugs were packed into 294 bags, indicating a high level of planning and operational coordination.
After the raid, the vessel was left adrift without fuel for nearly 12 hours. It was later towed by Spain’s maritime rescue service to the area of the Canary Islands for further investigation.
According to police, the operation targeted a multinational criminal organization suspected of systematically exporting large quantities of cocaine from South America to Europe. Video footage released by authorities shows officers digging the drugs out from beneath layers of salt using shovels and their hands, before transporting the packages to port facilities.
The estimated market value of the seized cocaine is approximately €400 million. In addition to narcotics, firearms and ammunition were also discovered on board. As part of the operation, 13 crew members were arrested.
The international operation was named “White Tide”. Alongside Spanish police, it involved the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the UK National Crime Agency, the Brazilian Federal Police, Spanish intelligence services, as well as authorities from France and Portugal.
Spanish law enforcement described the raid as a historic blow to international drug trafficking networks. Due to its close ties with Latin America, Spain remains one of the primary entry points for narcotics attempting to reach the European market.
Previously, in 2024, Spanish police seized 13 tons of cocaine from a container ship arriving from Ecuador, which at the time marked the largest such seizure in the country’s history.
Source: Official statements from the Spanish police (no other sources specified).