Civil Guard intercepts 423 kilograms of cocaine in van in Badajoz, largest provincial haul
The Civil Guard seized 423 kilograms of cocaine hidden in a van on the Ex-300 near Talavera la Real. The driver fled and remains at large.
The largest cocaine haul in the history of Badajoz province
Four hundred and twenty-three kilograms of cocaine divided into 423 packets and distributed across 17 sports bags. That was the cargo being transported by the driver of a van stopped on 13 August on the Ex-300, at the height of Talavera la Real. According to Google News ES — Crime, a Civil Guard Traffic patrol attempted to pull over the vehicle after observing an illegal manoeuvre, but the driver ignored the signals and merged onto the A-5 heading towards Portugal.
Upon noticing the pursuit, the driver reduced speed, abandoned the van while moving, jumped the central reservation and fled across open country. The officers attempted to reach him, but faced with the risk posed by the stationary vehicle to other motorway users, they opted to request reinforcements and regulate traffic to prevent accidents.
The van locked to hinder inspection
The driver locked the van before fleeing in order to obstruct its opening. However, from the outside, numerous suspicious bundles and cash were already visible inside. A tow truck transported the vehicle to Badajoz barracks, where officers accessed it and found the haul: the largest cocaine seizure recorded to date in the province.
The drug had a purity of between 70 and 80 per cent, which would have allowed for more than two million doses for the market.
The van was hired. The government delegate in Extremadura, José Luis Quintana, indicated that to date the Civil Guard has been unable to identify the driver and refused to say whether the latter provided false documentation to the rental company.
Investigation in initial phase: labels as a possible lead
Delegate Quintana, the general head of the Civil Guard in Extremadura, Andrés Velarde, and lieutenant colonel Manuel Delgado appeared on Monday to report on the operation, described as "important" in the context of the fight against large criminal groups dedicated to drug trafficking.
The investigation is in an initial phase and several details remain confidential so as not to hamper it. The exact origin of the drug has not been revealed, although South America is pointed to as the source and some province in southern Spain as the entry point. The final destination has not been confirmed either, although given the volume of the cargo it is presumed that part of it could have been distributed to other European countries.
What the authorities do point out is that the merchandise, by its quantity, was not intended for the Extremadura market. In recent years, Extremadura has become a transit zone for gangs dedicated to drug trafficking, as a result of police pressure exercised in other regions of Spain. The A-5 and the A-66, together with proximity to Portugal, make up the main routes used to move hauls between the south and north of the Peninsula or towards Europe.
The cocaine appeared labelled with stickers of up to a dozen different logos and brands. Investigators are hopeful that those labels may match those of other hauls seized in Extremadura or in other autonomous communities, which would allow them to establish links and trace the criminal group involved.
Annual balance and citizen collaboration
General head Andrés Velarde stressed that the operation was initiated during a routine road surveillance checkpoint, without prior tracking of the vehicle. Despite this, he appealed for citizen collaboration as a "fundamental" element in the fight against drug trafficking.
So far in 2025, the Civil Guard has dismantled six drug cultivation sites and thirteen sales points in Badajoz province. Velarde asserted that surveillance efforts would be maintained over the transport of hauls through the province with the aim of preventing the route from becoming established.
Delegate Quintana highlighted the "tireless" work of the Civil Guard, of which this operation is evidence, and insisted that the fight is waged both against large criminal organisations and against small traffickers.
Two major operations in Extremadura in a matter of days
The seizure in Badajoz adds to another blow to drug trafficking that occurred just days before: the National Police seized 540 kilograms of cocaine in Mérida, in an operation also of great significance for the region. Both operations reinforce the image of Extremadura as an active corridor for drug transport in Spain.
Source: Google News ES — Crime (es)