The Canary Islands have once again been thrust into the spotlight of international anti-drug operations after Spanish authorities intercepted an unprecedented quantity of cocaine bound for Europe. In what officials have described as a historic breakthrough, the largest maritime cocaine seizure ever recorded in Europe was brought to port in Santa Cruz de Tenerife in recent days.
Nearly 10 tonnes of cocaine seized at sea
The operation resulted in the seizure of 9,994 kilos of cocaine, packed into 294 bales and meticulously concealed beneath layers of salt in the hold of a cargo vessel named United S. The ship, flying a Cameroonian flag and showing clear signs of corrosion, was intercepted in international waters and later escorted to the East Dock of the Port of Santa Cruz.
The boarding and transfer of the vessel were carried out by the Special Operations Group (GEO) of the National Police, following a complex and high-risk maritime intervention.
A record-breaking operation
Speaking in front of the seized ship, Spain’s deputy government delegate in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Jesús Javier Plata, confirmed that this was “the largest cocaine seizure in the history of Europe”, updating earlier estimates that had placed the figure at around 7,000 kilos. He was joined by provincial police chief Jesús María García and Alberto Morales, head of the Central Narcotics Brigade.
Authorities stressed the exceptional scale and complexity of the operation, which has drawn comparisons to a Hollywood-style thriller due to its international scope, armed crew members and covert maritime logistics.
Operation ‘Marea Blanca’
Codenamed ‘Marea Blanca’ (White Tide), the operation took place approximately 290 nautical miles (535 kilometres) south-west of El Hierro after months of intelligence work. According to police sources, the intervention had to be brought forward when investigators detected that several speedboats were already en route to the target vessel.
One crew member was reportedly armed and acted as a guarantor for the cargo, while 37 bales of cocaine had already been prepared for transfer at sea, indicating that distribution was imminent. The plan was to offload part of the shipment before the ship crossed the Strait of Gibraltar on its return journey to Europe.
The vessel had departed from Turkey and deliberately avoided ports in Latin America, a tactic designed to reduce suspicion while transporting South American cocaine across the Atlantic.
International cooperation at the highest level
The success of ‘Marea Blanca’ was made possible through extensive international cooperation, involving the DEA, the UK’s National Crime Agency, the Brazilian Federal Police, Spain’s CITCO, and the MAOC.
Following the boarding, the ship ran out of fuel and had to be towed to Tenerife with assistance from Salvamento Marítimo.
A clear shift in trafficking routes
Officials warn that this seizure is not an isolated incident but part of a broader trend. Drug trafficking operations around the Canary Islands have increased sharply in recent years, reflecting a strategic shift by criminal networks.
With tighter controls now in place in traditional entry points such as Galicia and the Strait of Gibraltar, traffickers are increasingly rerouting shipments through the mid-Atlantic, using the Canary Islands as a logistical staging post.
The scale of ‘Marea Blanca’ surpasses previous landmark cases, including the 1999 interception of the Tammsaare, which carried 7,500 kilos of cocaine, and Operation ‘Traba’, carried out in October 2025, when 4,000 kilos were seized some 600 miles from the archipelago.
The Canary Islands: strategic but vulnerable
Authorities underline that the geographical position of the Canary Islands—midway between South America and mainland Europe—makes the archipelago both strategically vital and particularly vulnerable. As a result, the islands have become a focal point for surveillance, intelligence sharing and multinational cooperation in the fight against organised crime.
While the record seizure highlights the effectiveness of coordinated international policing, it also underscores a growing reality: the Canary Islands are now firmly embedded in the evolving logistics of global drug trafficking routes.
