Overview
- The Guardia Civil seized about 30 tonnes of cocaine on the cargo ship Arconian off Western Sahara, and Judge Ismael Moreno jailed 23 people aboard, including six armed Dutch nationals, on drug‑trafficking and criminal‑organization charges.
- Prosecutors say the consignment was bound for Spain, which allowed Spanish jurisdiction in international waters, and Dutch authorities have begun coordinating with Spain as the case moves forward.
- Investigators say the Comoros‑flagged freighter left Freetown to serve as a mother ship, carrying 45,000 liters of gasoline to refuel high‑speed boats that would shuttle the bales to shore outside territorial waters.
- The Guardia Civil says it will “bring eyes to the Atlantic” with the Spanish Navy, reflecting a broader European turn to larger naval patrols and MAOC‑N intelligence to interdict bigger ships farther offshore.
- Separately, Mexico’s Navy reported three Pacific actions that recovered 63 bundles of suspected cocaine, rescued 11 shipwrecked people, and referred three foreign stowaways to federal prosecutors, adding to more than 65 tonnes seized at sea during the current administration.