European law enforcement agencies have announced the disruption of a major transatlantic narcotics corridor known as the 'Cocaine Highway', operating between the Canary Islands and the Azores. The two-week maritime operation, led by Spain's Guardia Civil and coordinated through Europol, resulted in the seizure of 11 tonnes of cocaine and 8.5 tonnes of hashish. The operation included 54 arrests and the interception of 8 vessels suspected of participating in complex at-sea drug transfers designed to bypass major European ports and evade detection.
The operation follows Europol warnings earlier this year that cocaine trafficking organizations were increasingly abandoning traditional port-based smuggling routes in favor of fragmented offshore drug smuggling involving multiple vessels, mid-ocean transfers, and remote coastal landings. Authorities say the model typically begins with 'mother ships' departing Latin America carrying multi-tonne cocaine shipments. The narcotics are then transferred in international waters to high-speed craft — including rigid-hulled inflatable boats and other long-range vessels — before being moved again onto smaller boats for delivery to isolated beaches and marinas in Spain and Portugal.
The waters between the Canary Islands and the Azores have emerged as a key trafficking corridor due to their remoteness and the difficulty of monitoring maritime activity across such a vast area. Europol said the region has become widely known among investigators as the 'Cocaine Highway'. Jean-Philippe Lecouffe, Europol's Deputy Executive Director Operations, stated, "Our work proves that when law enforcement acts together, even the Atlantic is not big enough for organised crime to hide."
The latest operation builds on a series of major maritime drug investigations carried out by Spanish authorities over the past year. In January, Spain announced the dismantling of what it described as the largest cocaine trafficking network operating in the Atlantic during Operation Black Shadow, a sweeping investigation that led to 105 arrests and the seizure of more than 10.4 tonnes of cocaine. That investigation revealed an industrial-scale maritime logistics network built around high-speed 'narcolanchas' capable of exceeding 40 knots, operating from launch points along Spain's southern coastline and the Canary Islands. Authorities said traffickers relied on encrypted communications, offshore refueling platforms, satellite systems, and floating supply bases that allowed crews to remain at sea for weeks at a time while conducting repeated rendezvous operations with mother ships stationed offshore.
The latest Atlantic operation involved law enforcement agencies from Spain, Portugal, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States, including the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, UK National Crime Agency, Portugal's Polícia Judiciária, Guardia di Finanza, the Spanish Navy and Spain's tax authority. Europol said intelligence gathered during the operation is now being analyzed to identify additional criminal networks connected to the route, warning that further arrests and seizures are expected as follow-on investigations continue.
Key Takeaways:
1. Spain-Europol coordinated Atlantic 'Cocaine Highway' operation seized 11 tonnes of cocaine and 8.5 tonnes of hashish.
2. Offshore corridor between Canary Islands and Azores dismantled with 54 arrests and 8 vessel interdictions.
3. Traffickers used mother ships from Latin America for multi-stage transfers to high-speed boats in international waters.
4. Spain's Operation Black Shadow in January 2025 ended with 105 arrests and 10.4 tonnes of cocaine seized.
5. US DEA, UK NCA, Portugal, Italy, and Spanish Navy participated; follow-on investigations continue.
