The key facts

  • 7.6 tonnes of cocaine hidden in powdered panela, found at the port of Cartagena in coordination with the DEA
  • President de la Espriella: the largest seizure at the port in 10 years; 132 tonnes worth about $6.1 billion seized in 75 days of his administration
  • The Dutch prosecutor's office confirmed the arrest of two Dutch nationals in Colombia but did not link it to the seizure

Largest seizure at the port of Cartagena in a decade

Colombian police seized 7.6 tonnes of cocaine bound for the Netherlands at the port of Cartagena. President Abelardo de la Espriella announced the declaration on Tuesday, calling the operation the largest cocaine seizure at this port in the last 10 years. According to the National Police, the drugs were hidden in powdered panela — unrefined cane sugar — and were discovered by the anti-narcotics directorate in an operation coordinated with the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The president spoke in Cartagena on October 20.

Valuation of the shipment

According to de la Espriella, the shipment was worth 43 billion Colombian pesos domestically, and would have been worth more than $200 million upon arrival in the Netherlands. He also stated that in the first 75 days of his administration, security forces had seized 132 tonnes of cocaine worth about $6.1 billion. 'There is no truce against narco-terrorism! Every dose we keep off the streets saves lives, and every dollar we take from them weakens their criminal structures,' he added.

Dutch arrests and context

Separately, the Dutch prosecutor's office (OM) confirmed to the newspaper AD that, at its request, two Dutch nationals had been arrested in Colombia, whom Colombian prosecutors identified as Ronny and Ulrich. Neither agency linked the arrests to the seizure. According to the EU drugs agency, 330 tonnes of cocaine were seized in the EU in 2024, compared with 419 tonnes in 2023.