Spanish authorities have seized 6.5 tonnes of cocaine from a fishing vessel intercepted in the Atlantic Ocean in what police described as one of the country’s largest drug busts in recent years.
The operation was carried out by Spain’s National Police in coordination with customs officials and international anti-drug agencies. Officers stopped the vessel roughly 500 nautical miles southwest of the Canary Islands after investigators linked it to a major drug trafficking network operating between South America and Europe.
Police said the cocaine shipment was hidden aboard the boat and destined for the European market. Several crew members were arrested during the raid, though authorities have not yet released all identities or nationalities involved.
Spanish police unions described the seizure as a “historic haul,” highlighting the growing scale of transatlantic cocaine trafficking routes. Authorities said investigations remain ongoing to identify the wider criminal network behind the shipment. Spain has become a major entry point for cocaine into Europe due to its proximity to Atlantic maritime routes and strong links with Latin America.
