• The drug was intended to be introduced into Spain through the port of Vigo and was found attached to the hull of the ship below the waterline, so agents from the Maritime Base of Customs Surveillance in Vigo had to intervene together with divers from the Special Operations Group for its seizure.

• The operation was carried out with the collaboration of the North American agency DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration), which warned of the possible entry of the drug into Spain.

April 22, 2025.- Customs Surveillance Officers of the Tax Agency, in a joint operation with agents of the National Police, have seized 150 kilos of cocaine in Vigo that were found in the submerged structure of the hull of a merchant container ship. The drugs were intended to be brought into Spain through the port of Vigo, and agents from the Vigo Maritime Customs Surveillance Base, along with divers from the Special Operations Group, had to intervene to seize them, as they were attached to the ship's hull below the waterline. The operation was carried out in collaboration with the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which warned of the possible entry of the drug into Spain.

The investigation began in early April when the DEA received information that an international criminal organization was attempting to smuggle a significant amount of cocaine into Spain through the port of Vigo.

The investigation revealed that the drug was intended to be transported to our country using a container ship that would dock in Vigo. Furthermore, agents detected that the concealment method could be through attachment to the submerged part of the container ship's hull.

Once the ship suspected of carrying the cocaine had docked in port, the Vigo Customs Surveillance Service, in coordination with the National Police, carried out an inspection of the submerged part of the vessel. During the inspection, officers from the Operational Unit and Maritime Customs Surveillance Base in Vigo and divers from the Special Operations Group participated, locating five bags concealing 150 kilos of cocaine in one of the hull's compartments.

The investigation remains open to clarify the facts and locate the members of the criminal organization involved in the shipment.