Innovative concealment methods and diversified routes highlight the need for enhanced international cooperation.
A new Europol report published today provides a comprehensive analysis of the evolving tactics employed by criminal networks to traffic cocaine into Europe via maritime routes. The report, ‘Diversification in Maritime Cocaine Trafficking Modi Operandi’, provides an in-depth analysis of the shifting tactics employed by organised crime networks, which continue to exploit vulnerabilities and evade detection.
Cocaine trafficking into Europe has reached unprecedented levels, driven by high production in Latin America and increasing demand within the EU. Criminal networks have demonstrated their capacity to rapidly adjust operations, fragmenting routes and adopting complex, covert trafficking methods. This new Europol report highlights the use of semi-submersibles and other non-commercial vessels, as well as the incorporation of cocaine into various carrier materials before shipment to Europe.
At-sea transfers typically involve a mother vessel from Latin America transferring cocaine to a daughter vessel off the coast of West Africa. The cocaine is then either brought ashore in West Africa for further shipment to mainland EU or sent to the Canary Islands. Using rigid-hulled inflatable boats, criminal networks also transport cocaine directly to mainland Spain. Upon reaching the Andalusian coast, criminal networks utilise the Guadalquivir River to transport cocaine inland for further distribution.
Catherine De Bolle
Europol Executive Director
“The evolving tactics of criminal networks trafficking cocaine into Europe across the ocean pose a significant challenge to law enforcement. We know that these groups are increasingly diversifying their methods, using smaller vessels, at-sea transfers, and clever concealment techniques to evade detection. Our response must be equally dynamic and coordinated. By leveraging our analytical capabilities, international partnerships, and strategic initiatives such as the European Ports Alliance, we can turn these challenges into opportunities for intelligence and action. Together with our partners, we are committed to disrupting these networks and making Europe safer.”
Magnus Brunner
EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration
“As we continue to tighten the net on the criminal networks that traffic illegal drugs, they find ever more inventive and diverse ways to bring cocaine and other narcotics into our Union. So we must further intensify and diversify our efforts. The findings of this report will help Europol and national authorities direct resources and energy to enforcement priorities that choke off cocaine supply, disrupt the business model of traffickers, and save the lives of EU citizens.”
Operation Sombra Negra: a shift in drug trafficking methods
One notable example of these evolving tactics is illustrated by a recent operation codenamed ‘Sombra Negra’, which exposed a significant shift in drug trafficking methods. Led by Spanish authorities and supported by Europol, this operation resulted in the arrest of 101 suspects and the seizure of over 10 tonnes of cocaine in the Iberian Peninsula. The investigation involved two main phases: the most recent phase, on 19 November 2025, resulted in more than 50 arrests and 20 searches in Spain and Portugal. The first phase in June 2025 had similar outcomes.
The operation highlighted a shift in drug trafficking methods, as the criminal network relied on advanced maritime infrastructure to transport large quantities of cocaine from South America into Europe through the Iberian Peninsula. The suspects employed high-speed vessels capable of exceeding 70 km/h and complex encrypted communication systems to evade law enforcement. The operation dealt a decisive blow to one of Europe’s largest cocaine trafficking organisations and underscored a regional shift from cannabis to cocaine trafficking.
This operation exemplifies the report’s key findings, which include:
Diversified routes and methods: Criminal networks are bypassing major commercial ports by using at-sea drop-offs and transfers, semi-submersibles, and non-commercial vessels. These methods allow them to avoid law enforcement presence and controls, making detection and interception more challenging.
Sophisticated concealment: Cocaine is increasingly concealed in industrial equipment, machinery, and carrier materials such as food, plastics, and textiles. These methods make detection by scanners, sniffer dogs, and forensic tests extremely difficult.
Technological advancements: Criminal networks are leveraging advanced technologies, including encrypted communication systems, autonomous vessels, and drones, to enhance their operations and evade detection.
The report also highlights the need for enhanced maritime monitoring, financial investigations, and forensic expertise to expose hidden compartments, chemically incorporated drugs, and extraction laboratories. Partnerships between law enforcement, customs, port authorities, and the private sector are essential for securing supply chains and sharing actionable data in real time.
Europol’s response to the threat of cocaine trafficking includes operational support through its dedicated Drugs Unit, analytical and coordination support, and the deployment of experts on the ground. The Agency’s strategic role in providing an EU perspective on the varied threats posed by drug trafficking criminal networks is crucial in identifying shifts in criminal behaviour and trafficking routes.
