Judge orders release of one suspect in Muxía cocaine seizure
Spain's National Court has released one of those investigated in connection with the unloading of 1,617 kilogrammes of cocaine seized in August in Muxía (La Coruña), considering his remand in custody disproportionate.
Release in the Muxía port operation
Spain's National Court has decided to release provisionally one of those investigated for involvement in the unloading of 1,617 kilogrammes of cocaine intercepted on 10 August in Muxía (La Coruña), according to ABC. The Criminal Chamber found it disproportionate to keep him in custody and considered that his availability before the courts could be guaranteed by less severe measures.
The ruling, dated 18 September, establishes that the suspect must appear on the 1st and 15th of each month before the court. The tribunal bans him from leaving Spanish territory and orders the withdrawal of his passport if he possesses one. The investigations indicate that he acted as a "porter" in the unloading operations, although with no greater function than receiving and transporting the drugs alongside other coordinated participants.
Evidence against a maritime trafficking network
Investigators link those investigated to a criminal organisation based in Muxía that provided logistical support to different groups of drug traffickers to introduce large consignments of cocaine by sea. The structure has been linked to operations carried out between 2025 and 2026. The seizure on 10 August consisted of 49 packages of cocaine recovered off the Muxía coast.
The National Court acknowledges that there is reasonable evidence that the released suspect was part of the operation to receive, unload, transport and hide the drugs in a coordinated manner. However, it criticised the initial remand order for not having analysed in concrete terms the risks that justified it. The Public Prosecution had alluded only in generic terms to the risk of flight owing to the potential severity of the sentence.
Factors determining release
The ruling emphasises that the suspect is a Spanish citizen, has a known address and family ties, circumstances that significantly limit the possibility of evasion. The Chamber found no evidence that he possesses infrastructure to flee or connections that would facilitate escape. After the operation was exposed, the National Court considered the risk that he would commit further offences to be low.
The decision stresses that the measures imposed—periodic appearance, prohibition on leaving Spain and retention of the passport—are sufficient to address any risk of flight. Therefore, the tribunal concluded that remand in custody was disproportionate and contrary to the criteria of necessity required by procedural law.
Source: ABC