Europol: Drug Traffickers Pivot to Smaller Ports as Security Tightens at Europe’s Major Hubs

Europol and national authorities report rising cocaine trafficking to Europe driven by expanded production in Latin America and sustained EU demand; traffickers are shifting tactics away from major ports toward mid-sea transfers, small non-commercial vessels and increasingly sophisticated self-propelled semi-submersible submarines, and are concealing drugs inside heavy machinery to evade detection, resulting in large seizures and concerns about corruption and distribution across multiple European countries.