Spain Makes Largest-Ever Cocaine Bust At Sea After Intercepting Merchant Ship

Spanish authorities have made the largest cocaine seizure at sea in the history of the country’s National Police after intercepting a Europe-bound merchant ship in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Cameroon-flagged vessel, which had sailed from Brazil, was boarded last week while crossing the Atlantic.

Officers seized 9,994 kilograms of cocaine, packed into 294 bales and hidden among a cargo of salt.

All 13 crew members on board were arrested, and a short firearm used to guard the drugs was also recovered.

The operation, named “White Tide”, was carried out with support from international law enforcement agencies.

These included the the Brazilian Federal Police, US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the UK National Crime Agency (NCA), and authorities from France and Portugal, as well as the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre–Narcotics (MAOC).

Spanish police said the ship was linked to a multinational criminal network involved in moving large quantities of cocaine from South America to Europe by sea.

After locating the vessel in the Atlantic Ocean, officers from Spain’s Special Operations Group (GEO) boarded it while it was underway.

The cocaine had been deliberately hidden among tons of salt, and officers had to search through the cargo to find the drugs.

Police later released video footage showing the vessel being intercepted, suspects being taken into custody, and officers working with DEA agents to recover the cocaine.

The operation faced difficulties after the boarding. Authorities said the ship ran out of fuel, leaving it adrift for nearly 12 hours.

The Maritime Safety and Rescue Society (SASEMAR) was called in to assist, and the vessel was later towed to the Canary Islands.

The investigation is being handled by the Special Anti-Drug Prosecutor’s Office of Spain’s National Court, together with Central Court of Instruction Number 4, police confirmed.

Spanish police described the seizure as historic, saying it was the largest amount of cocaine ever seized by the force on the high seas.

They added that no operation of this size had taken place since 1999, when the vessel Tammsaare was intercepted carrying 7.5 tonnes of cocaine.

Spain’s location and strong maritime links with Latin America, along with its proximity to North Africa, continue to make it a major entry point for drugs entering Europe.

In October last year, Spanish police seized 6.5 tonnes of cocaine from a vessel off the Canary Islands after receiving information from US authorities.

In June 2025, police broke up a smuggling network that used high-speed “narco boats” to move cocaine from Brazil and Colombia, reportedly using an abandoned shipwreck as a refuelling point.

In 2024, authorities also seized 13 tonnes of cocaine from a container ship that arrived at the port of Algeciras from Ecuador, marking Spain’s largest cocaine seizure overall.

Reference: Spanish Police

Source: Maritime Shipping News