World

Colombian navy seizes 27 tonnes of cocaine

By AAP Newswire

Dec 22, 2025

A Colombian policeman stands guard over confiscated cocaine — Colombia's president has hailed the seizure of 27 tonnes of cocaine. -EPA

Colombian naval forces have seized 27 tonnes of cocaine from a number of vessels in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, President Gustavo Petro says.

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Nine tonnes were confiscated across several ships in the Pacific, with forces from Australia, Panama, Costa Rica and El Salvador also involved in the operation, he said on X.

A second operation backed by European police forces secured 18 tonnes of cocaine near Spain's Canary Islands, located in the Atlantic off western Africa.

Some 20 suspects were arrested in both operations, according to Petro, who described the action carried out across two days as possibly "one of the largest seizures in history without a single death."

It comes as the US military began targeting alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and the Pacific over the past months. More than 80 people have been killed by the strikes so far.

Columbia, the largest producer of cocaine worldwide, is home to more than 250,000 hectares dedicated to the cultivation of the coca plant, according to the United Nations.

From Colombia, the drug is smuggled on ships to the US and Europe.

The US has sanctioned Petro over accusations of failing to adhere to international obligations to combat drug trafficking.