Joint Spain-Ecuador operation seizes 21 tonnes of cocaine and arrests 44 suspects

A major international operation involving Spanish and Ecuadorian authorities has successfully dismantled a significant cocaine trafficking organization, resulting in the arrest of 44 suspects and the seizure of 21 tonnes of drugs. The Spanish Guardia Civil announced on Wednesday that the joint effort, coordinated by Europol, targeted a sophisticated criminal network that smuggled cocaine from South American to Spain hidden inside commercial shipping containers.

The syndicate, allegedly financed by investors in Dubai, exploited legitimate cargo shipments to transport the narcotics across the Atlantic, with most shipments originating from Ecuador's primary Pacific port of Guayaquil before being sent to Europe. Initial findings emerged in March 2025 when Ecuadorian police apprehended 36 suspects during coordinated raids on approximately 50 locations nationwide.

The operation subsequently expanded to Spain, where Guardia Civil officers arrested an additional eight individuals during searches at various residences. Authorities revealed that the smugglers covertly concealed cocaine within legitimate commercial exports to evade detection. Ecuador has emerged as a critical departure point for cocaine shipments headed to Europe, with criminal groups routinely concealing the drug among export goods, particularly banana shipments.

Law enforcement officials emphasized that this investigation was a result of close international collaboration between law enforcement agencies in Spain, Ecuador, and Europol, resulting in the dismantling of a transnational network responsible for moving substantial quantities of cocaine from South America into the European market.