PF carries out operation against international cocaine trafficking via maritime routes
The Federal Police launched an operation this Thursday (11) against the Balkan Clan, investigated for international drug trafficking and money laundering. The group uses small boats and sailboats to send drugs from Brazil to abroad.
12 search and seizure warrants were executed in the cities of São Paulo (SP), Santos (SP) and Guarujá (SP), issued by the 17th Federal Criminal Court of the Judiciary Section of Bahia, during the action called "Balkans". The Federal Court also ordered the blocking of bank accounts, financial investments, vehicles, properties and other assets of those under investigation, up to a limit of R$20 million.
The investigation began after the seizure of approximately 2.7 tons of cocaine found on board a sailboat, intercepted in international waters near Cape Verde, on the African coast.
See a video of the action in the Cape Verde region, in 2023:
https://admin.cnnbrasil.com.br/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-11-at-07.36.03.mp4
Throughout almost three years of investigation, the Federal Police identified a sophisticated criminal structure focused on sending cocaine from South America to Europe via transatlantic maritime routes.
The investigations point to the coordinated action of logistics operators, financiers, intermediaries and members linked to the international criminal organization recognized for its role in cocaine trafficking destined for the European market. According to investigations, sailboats and other vessels used for ocean crossings served as platforms for transporting large shipments of drugs, hiding a complex support network responsible for financing, logistics and communication between the various members of the organization.
In addition to international drug trafficking, investigations have advanced into the financial movements of those involved. Intelligence reports identified movements incompatible with the declared economic capacity of some of those investigated, indicating the possible use of companies and patrimonial structures to hide and conceal resources arising from criminal activities.
Last week, CNN Brasil revealed that the PF identified a change in the factions' international trafficking route following a drop in seizures in Brazilian ports. Cocaine seizures in the port of Santos and elsewhere have plummeted in the last six years and investigators point out that the groups have migrated to other strategies and use fishing boats.
All material seized during the execution of the warrants will be submitted to specialized technical expertise and analyzed in the context of the investigations, with the aim of deepening the identification of those involved, clarifying the dynamics of the facts discovered and supporting the continuity of the criminal prosecution.
Source: CNN