In a significant development, the Spanish Public Prosecutor's Office has identified Morocco as a primary source of cannabis infiltrating the Andalusian coasts in southern Spain. This revelation comes at a time when drug trafficking networks are intensifying their operations, employing increasingly sophisticated methods and routes, amidst a backdrop of escalating violence and the proliferation of arms, alongside the expanding cocaine smuggling operations. The prosecutor's findings were presented in their annual report for the year 2025, which was unveiled during the opening of the judicial year at the Supreme Court in Madrid. The report categorizes drug trafficking as the "greatest threat" emanating from the realms of organized crime and serious offenses.
The report underscores Spain's strategic position along global maritime drug routes, indicating that cannabis cultivated in Morocco predominantly enters through the Andalusian shores. Furthermore, the majority of cocaine arriving from South America is funneled through ports before reaching Europe, as highlighted by the newspaper "Info Bay" based on the report's insights. Within the Andalusia region, Moroccan cannabis remains the most prevalent drug; however, the volume of seizures has seen a dramatic surge in several areas. For instance, in Huelva, authorities seized 63,103 kilograms of cannabis in 2025, a staggering increase from 20,975 kilograms in 2024, reflecting a 201.8% rise, according to various Spanish media outlets referencing the prosecutor's data.
This alarming increase in drug seizures coincides with a notable advancement in smuggling techniques. The prosecutor's office has reported the utilization of large trailers equipped with hollow beams as double-deck floors, in addition to sophisticated tunnels excavated beneath the borders in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. Rapid boats have also been increasingly deployed from the Strait of Gibraltar towards the coasts of Huelva, Almería, and Málaga. Alongside this, there has been a marked expansion in cocaine smuggling, which has gained significant traction in Cádiz, Seville, and Huelva. In the Green Island region, cocaine is continuously introduced through containers, while semi-rigid boats are employed in the Barbate, Sanlúcar, and Greater River Valley areas to transport cocaine loaded from ships in open waters, as reported by "Andalucía Información".
In Almería, the quantities of seized cocaine skyrocketed from 324 kilograms to 1,255 kilograms, marking a staggering 287% increase. Additionally, the seizures of Moroccan cannabis resin surpassed 18 tons, compared to approximately 4 tons the previous year, reflecting a 350% rise. The prosecutor attributes these shifts to the relocation of unloading points to nearby geographical areas where networks anticipate less security pressure. The rapid boats, once exclusively used for transporting cannabis, are now increasingly utilized to ferry cocaine shipped from vessels offshore, according to the same report.
Conversely, the prosecutor has issued a stern warning regarding the rising violence associated with drug networks in Andalusia. There has been a marked increase in organized and professional criminal networks that wield their weapons not only against rival gangs but also "openly" against law enforcement agencies. In Cádiz, the report noted 24 actions related to weapon possession, with the seizure of four AK-47 rifles in Jerez and Sanlúcar during three separate operations, alongside automatic weapons and machine guns in the Barbate and Chiclana regions.
In Almería, the prosecutor reported the confiscation of 78 firearms, including several machine guns and a rocket launcher, while Seville also experienced an uptick in weapon seizures, with a police officer sustaining serious injuries during an operation in "Coria del Río." Ultimately, the prosecutor's office concluded that the scale, complexity, and violence of drug networks have surpassed the available means to combat them, calling for an urgent and necessary enhancement of human, material, and legal resources, as the situation threatens "the foundations of social peace."
As reported by aps.dz.