Europol Cracks Down on Cocaine

In a sweeping crackdown on cocaine trafficking networks, Europol, in collaboration with various European and South American law enforcement agencies, has orchestrated a series of high-impact operations aimed at dismantling major supply chains into Europe. These recent operations have targeted networks operating out of the Netherlands, Brazil, and Greece, each distinct in its methods but similar in their significant roles within the cocaine supply chain to Europe.

The first of these actions focused on a Dutch-led network, where a suspect from the Netherlands, coordinating directly with Colombian traffickers, was apprehended in Ibiza along with his two sons. Their operation, responsible for sizable cocaine shipments to Europe, was unearthed through collaborative efforts including surveillance and intelligence analysis by the Dutch Police, Europol, and the Spanish Guardia Civil. The operations led to the seizure of multiple cocaine consignments across the UK, Spain, and the Netherlands, culminating in the arrest of the main suspects on December 2, 2025.

Simultaneously, a Brazilian network utilized fishing vessels to facilitate cocaine shipments. This group, based in Bahia, Brazil, modified fishing boats to escape detection and sourced multiple tonne loads of cocaine, organizing their transfer from Latin America to Europe via West Africa. The operation saw Portuguese, Spanish, and Brazilian authorities working in concert, with significant arrests and seizures made in September and November 2024, disrupting the maritime logistics of the network.

In a separate but equally significant operation, a Greek network employing the at-sea transfer method was intercepted. This network, which had orchestrated a journey from Greece to Latin America, was disrupted on December 14 when the French Navy intercepted their vessel, leading to multiple arrests.

These coordinated international law enforcement efforts are part of a broader strategy by Europol’s European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT) to combat organized crime affecting the EU. By focusing on disrupting the cocaine supply chains and the arrest of key figures, Europol continues to strengthen intelligence and operational cooperation across borders, ensuring the dismantling of these complex criminal infrastructures.