Drug traffickers grow more aggressive as smuggling routes from Morocco reactivate

The Spanish government, through a report issued by the Department of National Security, has acknowledged the presence of more than 600 «go-fast» smuggling boats suspected of being used in drug trafficking operations, particularly in the Strait of Gibraltar. The report also highlights a rise in the aggressiveness of smugglers toward security forces, including the use of military-grade weapons.

According to the report, cited by Europa Press, «with regard to hashish trafficking, 2025 appears to have seen the reactivation of the route from Morocco, the world’s leading producer, to Spain».

Reviewing developments in 2025, the report refers to the death of a member of Portugal’s GNR police force on the Guadiana River after a smuggling boat rammed his vessel. It also mentions the deaths of two members of Spain’s Civil Guard while pursuing a smuggling boat 80 miles off the coast of Huelva.

The government acknowledged that «the areas of the Strait of Gibraltar and the Atlantic-Canary Islands basin are showing growing vulnerability for Spain». In this context, the report notes that some organized criminal networks may have started using routes and methods originally intended for drug trafficking in activities linked to irregular migration, reflecting a diversification of their criminal operations.

The report also refers again to Morocco, stating that «fearing the loss of boats and the resulting financial damage, criminal networks operating from Morocco avoid approaching the Spanish coast in order to evade interception». It adds that the networks use small semi-rigid boats, fishing vessels, yachts, and pleasure craft.