$25M Cocaine Seized Off Portugal in Joint Operation Led by Trinidad and Tobago Police

Trinidad and Tobago: Cocaine worth $25 million USD was busted off the coast of Portugal in Operation Vikings that was conducted by the TTPS, DEA, TOCU and SEACOP. According to the information, the operation led to the seizure of 1,660 kilograms of cocaine and the arrest of 3 foreign nationals between the ages of 43 and 51 in connection to the drug trafficking. 

The massive drug bust took place on June 14, by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) Vetted Unit cooperating with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Transnational Organized Crime Unit (TOCU), and the Seaport Cooperation Project (SEACOP) as a result of a two year investigation targeting a transnational drug trafficking organisation. 

According to reports, the cocaine-smuggling boat was intercepted near the Azores Archipelago in early June by the Portuguese Navy and Judicial Police as part of Operation Vikings. The interception followed a months-long joint investigation, resulting in the arrest of three foreign nationals who are currently in custody.

The bust has marked a significant achievement in the fight against international narcotics that are primarily usually smuggled  through the Caribbean routes. The DEA agents based in the U.S. Embassy in Port of Spain worked closely with the Trinidad and Tobago Police Officers to apprehend the drugs and those involved in the smuggling. 

The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service Vetted Unit played a key role in the apprehension by providing  the DEA with critical intelligence and support throughout. The operation also involved SEACOP, an EU-funded initiative to combat illicit maritime trafficking, and the authorities from Portugal, Spain, and Denmark. 

Dr Jenifer Neidhart de Ortiz, the U.S. Chargé d’Affaires reports that major drug crackdown is a substantial win for the United States and Trinidad and Tobago in the efforts to dismantle the drug trafficking networks that use the Caribbean route as a strategic transhipment route. 

She commended the local DEA agents, the TTPS Vetted Unit, and TOCU for their professionalism and thoroughness in handling the case. Adding that the United States will continue to support the law enforcement agencies in Trinidad and Tobago that address the common challenges through continuous cooperation, training, and resources.