The silence surrounding Morocco and the major Andalusian drug trafficking corridor

A post published on Converses à Catalunya examines the growing expansion of drug trafficking between Morocco and southern Spain, describing it no longer as a regional issue but as a major threat to both Spanish and European security. According to the text, Andalusia has become one of the main entry points for drugs into Europe, particularly Moroccan hashish and South American cocaine destined for European markets.

For years, the phenomenon was viewed as limited to the Campo de Gibraltar area. Today, however, the drug trafficking corridor stretches from Cádiz to Almería, moves up the Guadalquivir River toward Seville, and connects with major Mediterranean ports such as Barcelona and Valencia. This expansion reflects the presence of a highly organized criminal infrastructure.

The figures mentioned are striking: more than 12,000 anti-drug operations in 2024, nearly 6,000 arrests, and over 264 tons of drugs seized. Since 2018, Spanish authorities have reportedly intercepted more than 2.1 million kilograms of narcotics and confiscated over 2,000 boats. Nevertheless, the author argues that these numbers likely represent only a small fraction of the real trade, whose annual value could amount to tens of billions of euros.

The article also emphasizes the corruption risks generated by such enormous financial flows. According to the analysis, drug trafficking no longer concerns only isolated criminal groups but increasingly threatens institutions, ports, parts of the security forces, and the local economy through money laundering and criminal infiltration.

A significant part of the text criticizes the Spanish government for maintaining what it describes as diplomatic silence toward Morocco. The author questions the lack of political pressure on Rabat, despite the fact that much of the cannabis consumed in Europe originates from Moroccan territory. This silence is portrayed as evidence of political dependence or weakness on the part of Madrid toward the Moroccan regime.

Finally, the article frames the issue as a broader European problem. Drugs passing through Andalusia primarily supply markets in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and much of Western Europe. Europol has already warned about criminal infiltration in European ports and the rise in violence linked to organized trafficking networks. Nevertheless, the European Union is criticized for responding too cautiously and for failing to apply sufficient diplomatic and economic pressure on Morocco.

The conclusion is particularly alarming: southern Spain is no longer portrayed as merely a troubled peripheral region, but rather as Europe’s “narcotic frontier,” where state authority is increasingly undermined by the financial and logistical power of criminal organizations.

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