Colombian authorities seize seven tonnes of cocaine at Cartagena port

Colombian authorities have seized 7.6 tonnes of cocaine at the port of Cartagena, according to Euronews. President Abelardo de la Espriella said on 20 October that the drugs were destined for the Netherlands. [1]

Euronews reported that the joint operation was carried out alongside the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. Espriella stated that the operation represents the largest drug seizure in Colombia over the past ten years. [1]

According to Euronews, the seized shipment was valued at 43 billion Colombian pesos domestically. Officials estimated that the cocaine would have been worth more than $200 million after arriving in the Netherlands. [1]

The international trade in illegal cocaine functions through global trafficking networks that rely on coca cultivation in the Andean region to supply major consumer markets across the world. [4]