NARCO gangs operating in Andalucia are becoming increasingly militarised, with some groups using war-grade weapons and cutting-edge technology, according to a new report.
The warning comes in the latest annual report from the Andalucian Prosecutor’s Office, which casts a look back at the situation throughout 2025.
According to the report, Andalucia – including the Costa del Sol – has become a key territory in the European drug trafficking network.
The region is no longer just a gateway for drugs entering Spain, but has developed a much wider network involving drug production, storage, transport and money laundering.
Prosecutors say criminal organisations are becoming increasingly organised and violent, with groups using more sophisticated methods and equipment to move drugs and protect their operations.
One of the biggest changes has been the growing importance of cocaine trafficking.
Large shipments have been seized at the Port of Algeciras, while the coast around Barbate and Sanlucar de Barrameda continues to be used by traffickers.
READ MORE: Spanish police seize €1million haul of cocaine in sting linked to Colombian crime gang
Huelva has also become an increasingly important point, with powerful narcolanchas – high-powered boats used by drug traffickers – being used to transfer drugs at sea in an attempt to avoid controls at ports.
The Guadalquivir river is another major route.
Two major cocaine seizures in 2025 involved 6,500 kilos and 2,883 kilos took place in the region, according to the Prosecutor’s Office.
The increase in activity has also brought more violence, particularly between groups fighting to control routes along the river.
Almeria is also appearing more frequently on the cocaine trafficking map, with the province being used as a point of entry and storage.
The Costa del Sol, meanwhile, continues to play an important role, with the Port of Malaga being used as an entry point.
But it is not just the drugs themselves which are worrying authorities.
The Prosecutor’s Office has described petaqueo, the supplying and storage of fuel for narcolanchas, as a key part of the maritime drug trafficking infrastructure.
Criminal groups are storing huge amounts of petrol in garages, vehicles and other locations, sometimes close to residential areas and without proper safety measures.
In Huelva, more than 344,000 litres of petrol were seized in 2025, more than double the amount seized the previous year.
In Cadiz, the figure passed 262,000 litres.
Authorities warn that this creates a serious risk for people living nearby, particularly when large quantities of fuel are being moved through residential areas.
The report also highlights how international the criminal networks operating in Andalucia have become.
On the Costa del Sol, groups from different nationalities are working together, using properties and shell companies and moving money quickly between countries.
Prosecutors say criminal organisations from eastern Europe and producer countries in Latin America are increasingly involved, alongside groups from European countries where the drugs eventually end up.
The report paints a picture of a criminal network that is becoming increasingly sophisticated and international.
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