Operation of the Tax Agency, Civil Guard and National Police

• There are more than 26 detainees linked to the introduction of 1,500 kilos of cocaine and almost eleven tons of hashish.

• The criminal network operated through maritime routes between South America, the Iberian Peninsula, and Ibiza.

• One of those arrested was responsible for distributing and managing encrypted messaging systems for the organization.

February 6, 2026 - Customs Surveillance of the Tax Agency, Civil Guard and National Police, in a joint operation called 'Cocktail/North/Cavaliere', have dismantled a criminal organization dedicated to large-scale trafficking of cocaine, hashish and marijuana. The network was based in Ibiza and operated via maritime routes between South America, the peninsula and Ibiza. Throughout the investigation, a total of 1,558 kilos of cocaine and almost eleven tons of hashish have been seized, and 26 arrests have been made of people involved in the criminal activities.

The investigation into the criminal organization began in October 2023, with the joint operation between Customs Surveillance and the Civil Guard carried out on the stash on a beach in northern Ibiza, where Customs Surveillance seized 8.3 tons of hashish distributed in three vans. After analyzing the evidence found in one of the vans, they also managed to seize 686,000 euros found in a storage room in Ibiza.

The investigation, carried out by Customs Surveillance, the Civil Guard and the National Police, revealed the existence of a highly structured criminal organization dedicated to introduction large quantities of drugs into the Balearic Islands, especially Ibiza, through maritime connections with Mediterranean ports such as Denia and Valencia.

The actions carried out throughout 2025 pointed to the existence of an organized activity with a complex 'modus operandi' and a high degree of specialization and diversification. The network combined multiple forms of criminality and various ways of introduction narcotics, especially through transport by truck on maritime routes with ferries between Ibiza and the mainland, the use of vehicles with hidden compartments that traveled from the mainland to Ibiza, the introduction of cocaine through containers in the port of Valencia and the introduction of cocaine and hashish through speedboats in Ibiza.

Connection with national and international organizations

It has been established that the organization was based in Ibiza and had a hierarchical and compartmentalized structure that allowed it to operate for various national and international organizations, providing logistics, contacts and the ability to quickly move large shipments.

In addition, in the technological field, the organization had a person, now detained, in charge of distributing and managing encrypted messaging systems.

The operational actions began on May 24, 2025, with the arrest, in the Montecristo industrial park in Ibiza, of a person with a one-kilo package of cocaine that had been transported by truck via ferry from Valencia. Subsequently, on June 28, one person was arrested and ten kilos of cocaine were seized at the port of Ibiza, brought in by a truck traveling on a ferry from Valencia. Shortly afterwards, eight kilos of cocaine and four kilos of marijuana were seized in Mallorca at the port of Ibiza, and one more arrest was made.

The most important interventions of the year took place in July. On the 17th, 2,400 kilos of hashish were seized inside a truck at the port of Ibiza as the organization tried to put it on a ferry bound for Valencia. There was one arrest. Also in July, 1,008 kilos of cocaine were seized in the port of Valencia and another two kilos of cocaine in the port of Ibiza, brought in by a vehicle traveling on a ferry from Denia, and two arrests were made.

Already in the months of September, October and November, four kilos of cocaine were seized in the port of Ibiza, brought in by a truck traveling on a ferry from Valencia and 525 kilos of cocaine traveling on board a boat on the beach of Ses Salines (Ibiza), and four people were arrested.

The operation culminated on December 16th with nine records and eleven arrests in different municipalities of Ibiza. Subsequently, on December 17, 22 and 30 and on February 2, five more arrests took place. Twelve people are wanted and more arrests are expected in the coming days.

The operation was carried out by the Combined Customs Surveillance Unit of Ibiza, the Udyco of the National Police in Ibiza, the Edoa of the Civil Guard in the Balearic Islands and the Judicial Police Team of Ibiza, with the collaboration of Customs Surveillance officials in Valencia, the Computer Audit Unit of the Tax Agency, Edoa Valencia and Udyco Elche. In addition, specialist groups in police interventions and security –GRI (Customs Surveillance), GRS and USECIC (Civil Guard) and UPR (National Police)– have intervened, within the framework of the judicial proceedings directed by the Court of Instruction No. 3 of Ibiza and the Anti-Drug Prosecutor's Office delegated to Ibiza.