This high‑profile operation, supported by an international coalition of anti‑narcotics forces, led to the seizure of 6.5 tons of cocaine. The effort targeted a large-scale trafficking network moving drugs through Colombia toward Spain, with the port of Algeciras in Cadiz serving as a key node in the chain.
Officials reported that the network concealed the narcotics inside banana containers, which were transported by ship from South America to Spain. The operation, nicknamed squid, resulted in the arrest of thirteen individuals involved in the scheme.
The investigation began in October 2022 when investigators identified a Malaga‑based criminal organization recognized as one of Spain’s major cocaine traffickers. Their operations relied on sophisticated concealment tactics and cross‑border logistics to move drugs from production zones to European markets.
One lieutenant of the group, affiliated with a prominent family from Castellar de la Frontera in Cadiz, is believed to have played a central role. He allegedly used a frozen fish wholesale business in Campo de Gibraltar and Algeciras to launder proceeds from drug trafficking and to integrate illicit gains into legitimate commerce.
The Civil Guard noted that the organization smuggled large quantities of cocaine via shipping containers loaded with bananas destined for European ports, including routes from Colombia and Ecuador to the port of Algeciras. In some instances, the group attempted to gain influence over public officials to safeguard shipments.
After loading, containers were sometimes removed from port facilities, with shipments diverted to legal banana trade channels in an apparent bid to conceal the illicit cargo within legitimate commerce. During the course of the investigation, authorities canceled several network transactions, culminating in the seizure of 6.5 tons.
The first significant seizure occurred when a banana container departed from the port of Turbo in Colombia, heading for Algeciras. In Cartagena, Colombia, authorities examined a container and recovered 3,000 one‑pound cocaine pills. A subsequent attempt to move a second cargo from Cartagena, destined for Vigo, was thwarted when Colombian authorities uncovered 1,250 kilograms of cocaine inside another container.
The organization then shifted tactics, aiming to extract cocaine upon arrival at Algeciras and transfer it to a nearby maintenance ship. A third major seizure occurred when a later shipment was intercepted, preventing further loss and revealing more than four tons of cocaine hidden among banana pallets. In a strategic pivot, the cartel dispatched a container with cocaine from Guayaquil, Ecuador, in an effort to avoid prior patterns of interdiction.
Upon the container reaching Algeciras, investigators observed a driver linked to the organization remove the cargo, transporting it to a warehouse located in an industrial area of Antequera, Málaga. There, agents executed a raid and seized a total of 2,296 kilograms of cocaine concealed within the banana pallets. Seven individuals were arrested in that operation, and subsequent searches targeted the residences of principal figures within the organization.
Investigators also conducted searches of the group’s facilities in Algeciras, Málaga, Castellar de la Frontera, and another industrial site in Algeciras. To disrupt the crime network, authorities seized approximately 1.5 million euros in cash, several high‑end vehicles, valuable watches, and numerous electronic devices used by the organization. The estimated value of the drugs on the black market reached into the hundreds of millions of euros.
The operation was led by the Algeciras Command of the Civil Guard Central Operative Unit (UCO) with cooperation from Europol. Additional international partners joined the effort, including the United States Department of Homeland Security’s Special Border Protection and the Colombian National Police’s Anti‑Narcotics Directorate, along with Latvian authorities. Records indicate support from the Civil Guard’s Special Response Unit (UEI) and the Rapid Action Group (GAR) as well.
The collaborative effort demonstrates how cross‑border cooperation, meticulous investigative work, and targeted enforcement can disrupt major drug trafficking networks and significantly reduce the flow of illegal narcotics toward European markets. This case also underscores the challenges faced by investigators in tracing illicit proceeds across legitimate business fronts and adapting strategies to evolving trafficking methods as operatives adjust to enforcement pressures.