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1.3 tons of cocaine found hidden in frozen fish in Portugal: “Operation Squid”
Authorities in Portugal found and seized more than 1.3 tons of cocaine hidden inside a shipment of frozen fish that was transported from Ecuador and set for distribution across Europe, the national police force announced on Monday. The smuggled cargo, which weighed about as much as a compact SUV, was discovered as part of a broader campaign to combat drug trafficking.
The campaign, called Operation “Squid,” is headed by a specialized unit at the Portuguese Judiciary Police. Their recent discovery led to the arrests of seven men from various countries, who are allegedly involved in an international drug trafficking network that authorities say is responsible for importing and distributing the cocaine. Police did not identify those arrested by name but said the men are between 26 and 59 years old.
Authorities intercepted the shipment of frozen fish at a warehouse after it was unloaded at the Port of Lisbon.
“The way the drug was hidden in the frozen fish made it extremely difficult to detect and, in order to remove it, it was even necessary to completely destroy the fish,” police said in their announcement, which included video of officers opening boxes of the alleged drugs.
Additional searches conducted as part of the “Squid” operation led to the seizures of eight firearms, luxury vehicles, documents and other pieces of potential evidence that authorities will use as they continue their investigation into the trafficking incident.
The recent discovery in Portugal came just days after another massive cocaine shipment was found hidden in bananas by police in the United Kingdom. The 12,500-pound haul of drugs had an estimated street value of about $568 million and broke the country’s record for the biggest single seizure of hard drugs.
Last December, another huge cocaine shipment was found in frozen tuna by Spanish police, who said at the time that the fish had been imported from South America and was set for wider distribution across Europe, Reuters reported. That drug shipment, whic weighed 7.5 tons, was the largest drug bust in the history of Galicia, the coastal Spanish region where it was found.
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A food company known for popular grocery store condiments has recalled a package of tortilla strips that may be contaminated with wheat, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday. The product is meant to be gluten-free.
Sugar Foods, a manufacturing and distribution corporation focused mainly on various toppings, artificial sweeteners and snacks, issued the recall for the “Santa Fe Style” version of tortilla strips sold by the brand Fresh Gourmet.
“People who have a wheat allergy or severe sensitivity to wheat run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume the product,” said Sugar Foods in an announcement posted by the FDA.
Packages of these tortilla strips with an expiration date as late as June 20, 2025, could contain undeclared wheat, meaning the allergen is not listed as an ingredient on the label. The Fresh Gourmet product is marketed as gluten-free.
Sugar Foods said a customer informed the company on Nov. 19 that packages of the tortilla strips actually contained crispy onions, another Fresh Gourmet product normally sold in a similar container. The brand’s crispy onion product does contain wheat, and that allergen is noted on the label.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
No illnesses tied to the packaging mistake have been reported, according to the announcement from Sugar Foods. However, the company is still recalling the tortilla strips as a precaution. The contamination issue may have affected products distributed between Sept. 30 and Nov. 11 in 22 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington.
Sugar Foods has advised anyone with questions about the recall to contact the company’s consumer care department by email or phone.
CBS News reached out to Sugar Foods for more information but did not receive an immediate reply.
This is the latest in a series of food product recalls affected because of contamination issues, although the others involved harmful bacteria. Some recent, high-profile incidents include an E. coli outbreak from organic carrots that killed at least one person in California, and a listeria outbreak that left an infant dead in California and nine people hospitalized across four different states, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The E. coli outbreak is linked to multiple different food brands while the listeria outbreak stemmed from a line of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products sold by Yu-Shang Foods.