[REVISION HISTORY]

Operation Cantabria dismantles global cocaine network

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2026-10-11 01:22 UTC → 2026-10-12 10:46 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The multi-year international investigation known as ‘Operation Cantabria’ has culminated in the dismantling of a massive cocaine smuggling network. Following the October 5 seizure of 827.5 kilograms of cocaine in Solana de los Barros, Spain, authorities expanded their crackdown. On October 8, 2026, law enforcement agencies—including Europol, Spanish, and Ecuadorian authorities—arrested 20 suspects and conducted searches at 23 locations in Ecuador. The criminal organization utilized sophisticated commercial engineering, operating at least 15 legal ~~tropical fruit~~ import and export companies specializing in tropical fruits, seafood, cocoa, and wood to conceal cocaine within ~~banana shipments~~ maritime containers destined for European ports. The network maintained strategic operational bases in Peru and established logistics centers in Belgium, Spain, and the Netherlands, with additional operational and financial links in the United Arab Emirates. Between 2022 and 2026, 13 major operations linked to this network resulted in the seizure of over 43 tons of cocaine. Investigators successfully gathered critical evidence by decrypting communications from the Sky ECC platform. Other significant milestones in the broader investigation include a historic 13-ton seizure in Spain and the interception of nearly four tons of cocaine in the Netherlands in late 2020.

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