Spain and Portugal, long considered entry points for cocaine into Europe, have launched a sweeping series of operations against transnational drug trafficking groups, culminating in the seizure of more than four tonnes of cocaine and the arrest of over 60 suspects between November 2024 and September 2025. Backed by Europol, the crackdown reveals both the growing sophistication of criminal organizations and the deep entrenchment of the cocaine trade in European supply chains.

Authorities have reported that traffickers are relying on increasingly sophisticated concealment methods, making detection at ports and border crossings nearly impossible. Traditional “brick” shipments hidden in shipping containers have been replaced by creative strategies ranging from chemical modifications of the drug-designed to evade sniffer dogs and detection equipment-to concealment inside seemingly harmless goods.

One particularly striking tactic involved hiding cocaine in cowhides, allowing smugglers to exploit agricultural shipments that rarely receive the same level of scrutiny as high-risk cargo. According to investigators, some networks were able to ship dozens of containers from the Dominican Republic using this method before Spanish and Portuguese police, working with Europol, dismantled their infrastructure earlier this month.

Officials note that the Caribbean has become an increasingly important transshipment hub for South American cocaine bound for Europe. The Dominican Republic in particular offers traffickers logistical advantages, including........

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