Spanish police say they have made their largest-ever cocaine seizure on the high seas, intercepting a vessel carrying nearly 10 metric tons of the drug hidden in a shipment of salt and bound for Europe from Brazil.
Officers recovered 294 bales of cocaine and a handgun from the ship and arrested 13 people on board, police said in a statement. The vessel later ran out of fuel and had to be towed to port by coastguards in Santa Cruz de Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands.
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The interdiction underscores both the scale and reach of transatlantic drug trafficking and the growing role of multiagency operations at sea. Police did not immediately release the name of the vessel or further details about the crew, but described the haul as the force’s largest cocaine capture on international waters.
The cocaine was concealed within a consignment of salt, a tactic frequently used to mask contraband during maritime inspections. After the recovery of the 294 bales and the handgun, authorities escorted the vessel to Tenerife, where the shipment and the detainees were handed over for further legal proceedings, according to the statement.
The international effort involved the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Brazil’s Federal Police, Britain’s National Crime Agency, and authorities in France and Portugal. Spanish police emphasized that the cooperation was central to identifying, tracking and stopping the ship during its voyage across the Atlantic.
No timeline for the operation was provided, and officials did not disclose the precise coordinates of the interception. Authorities also did not immediately announce charges for the 13 people detained on board.
The Canary Islands, where Santa Cruz de Tenerife serves as a major port, sit along key Atlantic shipping routes between South America and Europe. Spanish police said the interdiction on the high seas—followed by a tow to Tenerife after the vessel ran out of fuel—allowed them to secure the evidence and the crew while minimizing the risk of scuttling or jettisoning the cargo.
Spain has long been a frontline state in European anti-narcotics efforts, and law enforcement agencies have stepped up maritime surveillance with the support of international partners. In this case, the cross-border taskforce drew on intelligence sharing and coordinated interventions to halt the ship before it approached the continent.
Authorities did not provide an estimated street value for the cocaine. The statement said the investigation remains active and could lead to further arrests or seizures as agencies trace the shipment’s origin, financing and intended distribution networks in Europe.
Police said the seizure highlights the continued use of commercial supply chains—such as bulk commodities including salt—to conceal drugs at scale. They urged shipping companies and port operators to maintain vigilance and to cooperate proactively with law enforcement amid sustained pressure from organized crime.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
