French Navy Seizes Six Tons of Cocaine Off Guinea

A joint maritime operation led by the French Navy resulted in the seizure of over six tons of cocaine from a fishing vessel in international waters off the Gulf of Guinea earlier this month.

The European Commission (EU) Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre (Narcotics) MAOC (N), based in Lisbon, Portugal, hailed the March 15 interception as a “significant operation” against transnational drug trafficking.

French Navy marines boarded the 20-meter Guyana-registered fishing vessel based on intelligence from MAOC (N), the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), and the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). The confiscated narcotics, valued at approximately €371 million ($400.4 million), were transferred to a French naval vessel for destruction under the directives of the Brest Prosecutor’s Office, US Africa Command (Africom), the US Coast Guard, and the DEA.

The six crew members—four from Guyana, one from Colombia, and one from Dominica—were arrested.

The operation was part of Operation Corymbe, under which the French Navy maintains a near-permanent presence in the Gulf of Guinea with maritime patrol aircraft and naval vessels.

US Army Lieutenant General John Brennan, deputy commander of US Africa Command, praised the seizure as a testament to international cooperation in tackling organized crime and enhancing maritime security.

“It underscores collaborative efforts among international partners to combat drug trafficking and safeguard external borders,” Brennan said, commending the French Navy and allied agencies for their commitment to disrupting illicit networks.