Europe grapples with expanding drug trafficking crisis as sea routes shift and gangs threaten officials

European authorities are confronting a widening drug trafficking problem. Cocaine shipments are increasingly moving away from major ports to the open Atlantic, where criminal networks use mother ships, speedboats, GPS spoofing and encrypted communications to evade detection. Ireland’s navy, tasked with patrolling a vast maritime zone, is hampered by staffing shortages and limited vessels, prompting officials to describe the search as “a needle in a haystack.” Europol’s acting chief Jürgen Ebner warned that pressure on one entry point simply pushes activity elsewhere, dubbing the phenomenon a “waterbed effect.”

At the same time, violent drug gangs are intensifying threats on the continent. France’s DZ Mafia, originally based in Marseille, has expanded its reach, targeting public officials such as mayor Christophe Rivenq of Alès and intimidating figures like reality‑TV influencer Carla Moreau. Police in Belgium recorded gunshots near a metro station linked to organized crime. The illicit drug market in France has nearly tripled in value over the past decade, reflecting broader increases in demand and supply across Europe.