The Civil Guard has dealt a new blow to one of the most active drug trafficking networks at Valencia Port, arresting eight suspected traffickers on Tuesday, including two of the cartel's main leaders who operated in the port terminal. The arrests revive an investigation that appeared stalled and confirm that crackdowns on cocaine trafficking in eastern Spain continue to intensify.

Two convicted drug traffickers arrested again

Among those arrested are Borja M. R. and Iván T. R., considered the main suspects in the major case dubbed 'Operation Spider'. Both had been sentenced just two weeks earlier by Valencia's Provincial Court to ten and a half years in prison in a case linked to encrypted messages from the SKY app, according to eldiario.es.

What is significant is that this new arrest comes while their previous sentences are still pending appeal before the Supreme Court, suggesting investigators did not wait to strengthen charges against them with new crimes.

Other convicted traffickers also arrested

Tuesday's raid by the Civil Guard's Organized Crime and Anti-Drug Unit (EDOA) also caught three other suspected drug traffickers convicted in the same SKY chat case:

• Jokin L. A.
• Daniel S. R.
• Javier C. R.

The three were sentenced to just over ten years in prison in that same case, whose ruling also awaits decision in higher courts.

The fugitive directing operations from hiding

Among those arrested is also Jonathan G. C., considered the "main responsible party" for extracting a shipment of 1,160 kilos of cocaine seized on July 18, 2025 at the CSP terminal of Valencia Port. This individual had been a fugitive for one month, hidden in a property in Geldo (Castelló), from where, according to analysis of his mobile phone, he continued directing other drug trafficking operations while evading capture.

An investigation resurfacing after years dormant

Tuesday's arrests are linked to a shipment of 348 kilos of cocaine seized at Valencia Port on February 20, 2021, using the lost hook method. The investigation had been practically paralyzed after initially being shelved by Court Number Four of the Investigation Section of Valencia's Court of First Instance, when evidence based on SKY chats was thrown out.

However, the Superior Court of Justice of the Valencian Community (TSJ-CV) backing the decrypted chats forced the case to be reopened and new convictions to be issued, which as a result has reactivated investigations into previous operations like this one from 2021.

The port remains the gateway

These arrests once again underscore that Valencia Port remains one of Europe's main entry points for cocaine. The sophistication of these networks and their ability to keep operating even when their leaders are convicted shows that the battle against drug trafficking is far from resolved, despite the regular blows dealt by security forces. How many more remain to be dismantled?