Video: Spanish Police Chase Down Boat Laden with 6,500 Kilos of Cocaine
Spain’s National Police detailed a large drug bust that they report is a major blow to the smuggling operations. The bust involved international cooperation and a hunt to intercept the vessel as it made its way across the Atlantic.
This latest case began with a tip on October 8 from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration that reported a drug cartel was planning an effort to transport a large quantity of cocaine across the Atlantic. Ultimately, they tagged a supply ship leaving Panama’s Cristobal anchorage as the vessel suspected of undertaking the transport of the drugs.
The Spanish Navy was coordinating with the drug enforcement authorities and the police in an effort to locate the vessel as it crossed the Atlantic. Policía Nacional reports they used the information provided, as well as their experience with the modus operandi of the smugglers. They estimated the likely route of the vessel.
The Spanish Navy set up an interception effort to catch the vessel. At approximately 9:30 p.m. local time, on October 22, they identified the vessel and launched the interception. They were approximately 600 miles off the Canary Islands in international waters.
The vessel, registered in Tanzania, was a 54-meter (177-foot) supply ship. Pictures show containers stacked on the vessel’s deck.
Agentes del #GEO han abordado un buque mercante ???? a 600 millas de las #IslasCanarias con el apoyo de @Armada_esp
— Policía Nacional (@policia) October 26, 2025
La requisa realizada por agentes de @policia de la #UDYCO calculan que podría transportar alrededor de 6.500 kilos de cocaína
??9 detenidos
Con colaboración @DEAHQ pic.twitter.com/TiTZLEH3kQ
The boarding party was able to gain access to the ship and rounded up nine crewmembers. During a search of the vessel, the police reported they became suspicious of structures they identified as not believed to be part of the ship. A closer search revealed cocaine hidden in these structures. The total haul is reported to be 6,500 kilos with an estimated street value of €340 million ($396 million).
The police report the ship was heading to the port of Vigo on the Spanish mainland. It is a busy commercial and fishing port.
The nine crewmembers aboard the vessel were placed under arrest. The police hauled the ship into the Port of Arinaga, Gran Canaria, on October 26.
It is the latest in a series of similar busts reported by the authorities, where the cartels have actually taken control of the ships and run them on smuggling trips. The Canary Weekly news outlet reports that Spain, in recent months, made large busts, including 13 tonnes of cocaine in Algeciras seized in November, 3.6 tonnes in Galicia in September, and 1.7 tonnes in Valencia earlier this month.