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Spain Seizes Nearly 10 Tonnes of Cocaine in Largest High-Seas Bust by National Police

The DEA-backed 'Marea Blanca' operation targeted a Cameroon-flagged freighter sailing from Brazil to Europe.

Overview

  • Officers boarded the vessel roughly 290–300 nautical miles west of the Canary Islands and arrested all 13 crew members.
  • The cocaine was concealed within a bulk salt cargo in the hold, and a firearm was recovered.
  • The ship was towed to the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, where the 9,994 kilograms of cocaine remain under Spanish custody.
  • Investigators say the detained crew are Indian and Serbian nationals, and the freighter has been reported as the United S.
  • Authorities cite support from the DEA, MAOC and counterparts in Brazil, the UK, France and Portugal, with media estimating the shipment’s street value at over €1 billion.