Madrid Launches Historic Crackdown on International Cocaine Ring
Spanish law enforcement announced a sweeping operation targeting an international cocaine trafficking network that relied on offshore Atlantic staging points to move drugs toward European shores. After a year-long investigation, authorities recovered roughly 10 metric tonnes of cocaine and arrested 105 suspects, marking one of the largest maritime drug busts in recent Spanish history.
🚤 “Floating Bases” and High-Speed Boats: How the Network Worked
Investigators found that smugglers used high-powered speedboats operating from remote coastal rivers and waters near southern Spain, Galicia, the Canary Islands, Portugal and Morocco. These vessels shuttled cocaine from larger transport and storage ships stationed far out in the Atlantic Ocean.
Officials described how members maintained “floating bases” at sea, where pilots and crew stayed for weeks at a time to offload cocaine before moving it toward the mainland. The group also employed advanced surveillance gear to monitor law enforcement communications and track authorities’ movements.
⚖️ International Cooperation and Major Seizures
Spanish police collaborated with law enforcement partners in Cape Verde, Colombia, France, Portugal and the United States during the probe. The network is believed to have moved upwards of 57 tonnes of cocaine into Europe during the period under investigation.
In addition to the drugs, authorities confiscated 30 boats, 70 vehicles, and a range of high-tech communication and surveillance tools used by the ring. In one shocking twist, the group even paid millions of euros to the family of a deceased crew member to secure their silence.
