The Guardia Civil intervenes with more than 800 kilos of cocaine in Punta Umbría (Huelva)

In March 2025, Spanish police, working with German authorities, Ecuadorian police and other European law enforcement agencies, launched a major operation against a transnational drug trafficking network that was smuggling large quantities of cocaine from Ecuador into Spain via Mediterranean ports. This initial action marked the beginning of a broader investigation that would span over two years and lead to the dismantling of a complex international organization responsible for importing tons of narcotics into Europe. Eighteen months later, in August 2026, the Spanish National Police’s Central Operations Unit (UCO) completed what has been called Operation Mondragón. The operation, conducted in collaboration with the Ecuadorian National Police, successfully dismantled a criminal organization that had been systematically importing vast amounts of cocaine through key Spanish ports such as Málaga, Algeciras and Valencia. The operation targeted a sophisticated corporate structure designed to mask illegal drug imports from South America under the guise of legitimate commercial activity. Throughout 2024, multiple police operations led to the seizure of 21 tonnes of cocaine in Brazil, Ecuador and Spanish ports including Málaga, Algeciras and Valencia. These actions resulted in arrests of individuals involved in the operations, as well as the collection of evidence against the main organizers, who operated primarily between Spain and Dubai. The criminal group was structured into three distinct branches. The primary branch, based in Spain, consisted of Spanish and Moroccan nationals who were responsible for creating the necessary business infrastructure to facilitate the importation of containers from South America. Their role included providing a veneer of legality to these shipments and ensuring the cargo was assigned a legal destination. The second branch originated in Ecuador, where the majority of the seized drugs came from. From key logistics centers, particularly the port of Guayaquil, the group controlled the contamination of containers destined for Spain. This phase of the operation was managed by a criminal network known as Los Choneros. The third branch was located in Dubai, where Albanian investors funneled substantial financial resources into Spanish companies. These funds served both as operational capital and as a means to conceal regular shipments of narcotics. In March 2025, the first phase of the investigation was executed in Ecuador, leading to the dismantling of the country-based branch of the organization. This operation involved 50 home searches across different locations and the arrest of 36 individuals. Spanish officers from the UCO worked alongside Ecuadorian police during this phase. In Spain, the investigation continued with further raids and arrests in provinces such as La Rioja, Alicante, Sevilla and Cádiz. The operation concluded with the detention of eight individuals and the seizure of approximately one million euros in cash found during searches in Arnedo, La Rioja. Numerous properties, vehicles and financial assets were also confiscated. The Spanish investigation was coordinated by the Special Anti-Drug Prosecutor's Office and the Central Instance Court of the National High Court. Separately, in August 2026, agents of the Spanish Guardia Civil intercepted a motorized boat near Punta Umbría, Huelva, which was attempting to evade capture by throwing packages of cocaine into the sea. The operation recovered more than 800 kilograms of cocaine, which was subsequently processed and handed over to police authorities for further investigation.