Spain Intercepts Record 40-Tonne Cocaine Shipment From Vessel In Atlantic Waters, Arrests 20 Crew

Spanish authorities have intercepted a vessel in the Atlantic Ocean carrying the country’s largest-ever cocaine shipment, with the total amount estimated to be between 35 and 40 tonnes.

The operation was carried out by the Civil Guard in international waters near the Canary Islands on May 1.

Around 20 individuals on board the vessel were arrested, according to sources from the Unified Association of Civil Guards (AUGC), the main union representing the force.

Officials said the ship’s hold was completely filled with bales of cocaine, describing the seizure as historic because of the volume involved.

The drugs are estimated to weigh between 30,000 and 45,000 kilograms.

The vessel had sailed from Freetown and was heading towards Benghazi. However, based on how similar operations are usually carried out, authorities believe the cargo was not meant to be unloaded in Libya.

Sources said handling such a large quantity of cocaine at a single port would likely raise suspicion.

Instead, they believe the shipment was intended to be transferred to smaller boats and then moved across different locations in Europe.

They added that such operations are usually managed by organised international networks.

Spain’s Interior Minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, said the seizure was one of the biggest not only in Spain but also globally. He did not share further details.

The investigation is currently under legal secrecy following a court order, and the Civil Guard has not officially confirmed specific details about the operation.

Spain remains one of the main entry points for drugs into Europe due to its location and links with Latin America, as well as its proximity to Morocco, which is a major cannabis producer.

In recent years, Spanish authorities have made several large drug seizures.

In 2024, about 13 tonnes of cocaine were recovered from a container ship that arrived at the port of Algeciras from Ecuador, which was the country’s biggest haul at the time.

Earlier this year, authorities seized nearly 10 tonnes of cocaine from another vessel at sea.

In October last year, 6.5 tonnes of cocaine were seized and nine people were arrested after a tip-off from the United States led to a ship being raided near the Canary Islands.

In June 2025, police also dismantled a trafficking network that used high-speed boats to move cocaine from Brazil and Colombia to the Canary Islands, reportedly using an abandoned shipwreck as a refuelling point.

The intercepted vessel is now being examined in the Canary Islands as the investigation continues.

References: cbsnews, bbc