A joint EU-Latin American operation has led to the seizure of 73 tonnes of drugs and the arrest of 36 people in Ecuador and the EU, Europol announced on Friday. The bust targeted an Ecuadorian criminal cell accused of supplying wholesale cocaine to the EU through major ports.
The large-scale drug trafficking investigation, involving law enforcement from Ecuador, Germany and Spain, focused on an Ecuador-based criminal network that is believed to have used ship containers to traffick tonnes of cocaine from South America to ports in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain.
According to Europol, the cell also managed financial flows through various companies and intermediaries, and maintained contact with suppliers. Criminal cells in Germany and Spain, equipped with commercial and transport companies and drivers, handled logistics and distributed the drugs across the EU.
“Criminal networks operate seamlessly across oceans, and our response must be equally interconnected. Strengthening cooperation with Latin American countries is essential – tackling organized crime requires a global effort,” Europol’s Executive Director Catherine De Bolle said.
Europol said the operation reflects broader efforts by EU member states and the agency to dismantle high-level criminal networks operating in major ports.
