11 Tons: Spanish Authorities Make Their Largest-ever Cocaine Seizure At Sea

Spanish police have made their largest-ever cocaine seizure at sea, intercepting a Cameroon-flagged merchant vessel in the Atlantic Ocean carrying nearly 10,000 kilograms (about 11 tons) of cocaine hidden within a shipment of salt, en route from Brazil to Europe.

The operation, named "White Tide," involved international cooperation with agencies from the US, Brazil, the UK, France, and Portugal, and resulted in the arrest of 13 crew members and the recovery of a firearm used to guard the drugs.

The vessel, identified as the United S, was boarded by Spain’s Special Operations Group (GEO) while en route from Brazil to Europe, and after running out of fuel, it drifted for nearly 12 hours before being towed to the Canary Islands by Spain’s maritime rescue service, SASEMAR.

The cocaine, packed into 294 bales, was concealed among tons of salt cargo, requiring officers to search through the holds to uncover the illicit shipment.

The bust is the largest maritime cocaine seizure in Spain’s history, surpassing the previous record of 7.5 tonnes seized in 1999. The seized drug is valued at over $116.5 million (€100 million).

This operation marks a significant blow to a multinational criminal network involved in trafficking cocaine from South America to Europe via commercial shipping routes.

Spain has increasingly become a key entry point for cocaine into Europe, with authorities seizing 123 tonnes nationwide in 2024, up from 118 tonnes in 2023.

In October 2025, Spanish police seized 6.5 tonnes of cocaine from a vessel off the Canary Islands following a tip from US authorities, and in June 2025, a network using high-speed "narco boats" was dismantled.