ATLANTIC OCEAN — A large Spanish-flagged sailing yacht with three crew members on board was intercepted in international waters following a joint operation by Mexico’s maritime authorities and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), according to sources familiar with the case.
The vessel had been under satellite surveillance since entering Mexican waters, where it was allowed to remain temporarily docked under discreet monitoring. Authorities waited until the yacht returned to international waters to launch the operation.
Once outside national jurisdiction, Mexican maritime police units and the DEA boarded the vessel in a swift operation that met no resistance.
650 Kilograms of High-Purity Cocaine
During the inspection, authorities seized 650 kilograms of high-purity cocaine, carefully hidden inside the yacht. They also discovered:
- $15,000 in U.S. dollars
- €25,000 in euros
The DEA described the bust as a “high-value logistical strike” against international drug trafficking, noting the professional organization of the transport.
Investigation Sealed Under Court Order
The case remains under judicial seal, as investigators look into possible links to transnational criminal networks operating between South America and Europe.
Sources close to the investigation emphasize that this is a commonly used route by smuggling organizations, particularly those with ties to Spain and the Netherlands, a major maritime entry point for cocaine into the continent.
