Spanish police seize 1,410 kilograms of cocaine and arrest clan leader in Galicia
Spain's Policía Nacional arrested three men, including the leader of the Los Fanchos clan, following the seizure of 1,410 kilograms of cocaine in A Pobra do Caramiñal.
Intelligence and international cooperation
The operation began on Thursday, 20 August 2026, when law enforcement agencies learned that two boats had unloaded a large cocaine shipment on a beach in A Pobra do Caramiñal, located in the Barbanza district of A Coruña. The United States Drug Enforcement Administration provided early intelligence that initiated the inquiry. Officers from the Grupo de Respuesta Especial contra el Crimen Organizado (GRECO Galicia) of the Policía Nacional, operating in tandem with the local police station in Ribeira, took charge of the investigation. Initial findings indicated that the local clan known as Os Fanchos had undertaken the assignment to receive the maritime shipment, offload the bundles, and conceal them in safe houses until secure distribution could be arranged.
Surveillance of the clan leadership
Police focused surveillance on Rafael R.G., whom investigators identified as the head of the Los Fanchos clan and the coordinator of the reception and storage operation. The clan operates primarily across the Barbanza district, including the towns of Boiro and A Pobra do Caramiñal. Investigators placed the leader's home under observation to track his movements and locate the storage depot. The first significant interaction was recorded on Friday, 21 August, at 06:55, when a car stopped in front of the target's residence. An individual emerged from the property carrying a backpack and entered the vehicle, which then executed security manoeuvres to check whether police units were trailing them.
- Police receive DEA intelligence regarding two boats landing cocaine at A Pobra do Caramiñal
- Surveillance records a suspect with a backpack departing the clan leader's residence in a car
- Officers intercept three suspects moving parcels near O Conchido beach and seize 1,410 kg of cocaine
- Suspects are transferred to the judicial authorities in Ribeira for court hearings
Midnight transfers and beachfront arrests
Activity intensified during the early hours of Saturday, 22 August. Rafael R.G. and two other men made repeated journeys between his house and a storage shed situated across the street, located directly adjacent to O Conchido beach. Surveillance teams watched the three men remove large, heavy packages from the coastal shed and begin transporting them to a third residence in A Pobra do Caramiñal. Based on the dimensions of the parcels and the physical effort required to carry them, officers determined that the cargo was the cocaine shipment received two days earlier. Police intervened immediately during the transfer, arrested the three men on site, and secured the packages before the shipment could be relocated or divided.
Property searches and judicial proceedings
Following the arrests, officers executed search warrants at three linked locations: the residence of Rafael R.G., the beachfront shed opposite the property, and the third house where the bundles were being delivered. Across the three premises, police confiscated 1,410 kilograms of cocaine, along with 100 grams of heroin, cash, and additional materials connected to the distribution network. The three detained men were held on suspicion of drug trafficking and membership in a criminal organisation. On Monday, 24 August, at least two of the detainees were transferred to the judicial authorities in Ribeira to appear in court.
