'Mexican cartels target Spanish cannabis cultivation'
June 5, 2022

Spanish police say they dismantled a criminal network last week that dealt and laundered various drugs in Spain, Portugal, Mexico and Switzerland. According to the Spaniards, the investigation shows that Mexican cartels are trying to gain a foothold in organized cannabis cultivation in Spain. More than 200 officers took part in the operation and 24 people were arrested. Searches have been carried out in thirteen places in the Spanish provinces of Madrid and Guadalajara.


Submachine guns
The investigation led to the seizure of 1,000 kilograms of marijuana buds and 37 kilograms of cocaine. Also seized were two cocaine laundries, ten firearms (three submachine guns and seven pistols), and luxury goods worth more than six million euros, including 17 expensive cars.

The organization had set up a structure of companies in Spain, Colombia, Switzerland and Portugal, partly to launder money from criminal activities.

Mexicans
The investigation began at the end of 2020 when the Madrid detectives discovered several Mexicans from a family with criminal connections from Sinaloa settled in luxury houses in the city. The investigation found that these Mexicans visited large marijuana plantations in the province of Guadalajara. The Mexican family is said to have brought and laundered more than ten million euros in cash and gold to Spain, investing in real estate and luxury goods.

CBD oil
In Spain, the Mexicans established contacts with criminals from Spain and other European countries. They also set up companies in Spain, Portugal and Switzerland for the legal exploitation of cannabis, namely the production of CBD oil, and for laundering purposes.

Weed and packages of cocaine paste were sold to, among others, Dutch, Chinese and people from Croatia.

37 kilos of cocaine were found in a cocaine laboratory.