Spain Seizes 9,994 Kg of Cocaine Hidden in Salt in Record High-Seas Operation

Overview

• Elite GEO officers boarded a merchant vessel in international Atlantic waters near the Canary Islands on January 6–7, uncovering 294 bundles of cocaine concealed within a legal salt cargo.
• Thirteen crew members were detained and a firearm was seized, while the fuel-starved ship drifted for nearly 12 hours before SASEMAR towed it to port.
• Authorities report the vessel called at Brazilian ports in December 2025 and was tied to a network moving large consignments from South America to Europe.
• Spain coordinated Operation Maré Blanca with Brazil’s Federal Police, the U.S. DEA, the U.K.’s NCA, MAOC, CITCO, and authorities in France and Portugal.
• The case is being handled by Spain’s Special Anti-Drug Prosecutor and Central Court No. 4, with EU data estimating potential retail proceeds at up to about €1.09 billion.