Spanish law enforcement conducted one of the largest anti-drug trafficking operations in history. A vessel carrying a record cocaine shipment, potentially reaching 40 tonnes, was intercepted in the Atlantic Ocean near the Canary Islands. This was reported by CBS News, citing sources within Spain’s United Association of the Civil Guard (AUGC).
This is the largest drug seizure ever made in Spain, and one of the largest in world history.
The vessel, packed to the brim with cocaine, was en route from Freetown (Sierra Leone) to Benghazi (Libya). The interception took place in international waters. Approximately 20 crew members accompanying the cargo were arrested.
According to the AUGC, the organizers had planned to transfer the drugs onto smaller vessels for subsequent distribution across Europe. Police are investigating the theory that the operation was coordinated through major international criminal networks.
Spain’s previous record had been set just a few months earlier — in January 2026 — when 10 tonnes of cocaine were seized.
The operation dealt a new blow to the transatlantic drug supply routes from South America and West Africa into Europe. The investigation is ongoing.