STORY: :: Spanish police seize around 11 U.S. tons of cocaine hidden in a shipment of salt
:: Tenerife, Spain / January 11, 2026
:: Police arrested 13 people onboard the vessel and discovered 294 bales of cocaine
:: Spanish authorities say it's their largest-ever cocaine seizure on the high seas
The operation led to the arrest of 13 people on board. The vessel, which ended up running out of fuel, had to be towed to port by coastguards in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, police said in a statement. Officers recovered 294 bales of the drug and a handgun.
Footage showed police officers using shovels and digging with their hands to remove cocaine from beneath the salt, and then forming a line to move the bales to the pier.
The international effort also involved the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Brazil's Federal Police, Britain's National Crime Agency and authorities in France and Portugal.
