European agency advocates using military force to stop maritime 'cocaine highway' – report

Europe's Maritime Analysis and Operations Center (MAOC), a leading anti-drug trafficking agency, has issued a "call to action memo" urging European nations to permit the use of force, including engine-disabling tactics and shooting, during maritime pursuits of drug smugglers. This recommendation comes as Europe faces a "tsunami of cocaine," with cartels increasingly using high-speed "go-fast boats" to transport drugs from large cargo ships in the Atlantic to European coasts, a shift described as "'Mad Max' at sea."

• The MAOC estimates that while 100 tons of cocaine were seized last year, an additional 770 tons entered Europe.
• French maritime officials support the plan, citing a lack of naval assets to stop smuggling vessels.
• The shift in routes is partly due to crackdowns in major European ports and a redirection of cartel focus from the US to Europe, driven by increased US interdiction efforts and a changing US drug market.
• Spain recently made its largest-ever cocaine seizure, 30 tons, from a cargo ship also carrying fuel likely intended for go-fast boats.

While France has authorized snipers to target engines with a "zero casualties" principle, European proposals generally avoid the more aggressive tactics used by the US. The MAOC also advocates for laws prohibiting the manufacture and possession of go-fast boats, similar to those in Spain and Portugal, and calls for greater international cooperation and resource contribution.