The fear generated by José AC, 38, known as José el del ship And his ability to disconnect from drug trafficking activities made this corpulent man, mixed martial arts fighter, has not stepped on a police unit as investigated in the last ten years, despite being “a priority objective for European police.” A National Police operation and Civil Guard, has broken that streak. 17 members of his organization, including his right hand and a second leader, in addition to him, have been arrested for an investigation in the hands of the National Court, which has had the impulse of the Anti -Drug Prosecutor’s Office, and that investigates them for crimes of drug trafficking and criminal organization.
“He was known as the Lord of the Canary Islands drugs. Basically, because it was number one, everything that entered the island or authorized it or stole it,” explaining sources known to the investigation that have followed the track for drug trafficking, theft of seasoning to other organizations and orders to take drugs from other vessels. His fame had remained in the police offices and in the archipelago until last March, in his luxury villa south of Gran Canaria. At that time, the researchers had been behind their organization for months. Although the police intervened in the kidnapping, he “measured on his own” with the people who had retained his wife and that police sources relate to the theft of a drug cargo. They were released in 48 hours and in May five people were arrested.
The ship’s network, with a pyramidal structure, worked based on “almost family” relationships. “His law prevails through violence, but also that many are brothers, family, friends of a lifetime, who have been raised together,” they count on the members of the organization. In fact, the operation was baptized blood-bucarte ties.
The most difficult thing was to find a fissure in a network that was surrounded by numerous security measures, such as the use of encrypted messaging platforms or satellite phones. The opportunity came with two interventions at the sea in which they managed to rescue part of the stash that the members of El Ship group were taking to land. In the first, in November 2024, they intercepted a boat and its occupants threw the cargo of cocaine through the board to lower the weight and gain speed. They got into a beach and fled. But the boat remained and managed to recover 100 kilos of cocaine. The rest of the ton they calculate that he wore went to the bottom of the sea. On the second occasion, last February, something similar happened, but with a cargo of hashish that they estimate in two tons and from which another 100 kilos rescued. The researchers underline the importance of having achieved the evidence to involve the organization and especially the ship, after so long following their movements.
Although this investigation began just a year ago, they had in the spotlight for a long time. In fact, it is linked to two accesses to the port of Gran Canaria to rescue container drug shipments in 2019 and 2022 in which they found that they had an escape plan using submarine and rapid bowls, respectively. The Government delegate in the Canary Islands, Anselmo Pestana, stressed that José the ship, was delivered by the “pressure” of the investigation itself. Other sources consider that perhaps he intended to demonstrate that he had no risk of escape, although despite this, his entry into provisional prison was decreed.
The arrests have been made in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, La Gomera, Fuerteventura and large sums of money and 14 properties have been intervened, in addition to 38 high -end vehicles and 24 vessels, according to the Civil Guard and the National Police. The group had international links, which are still being investigated, so new arrests are not ruled out.
The agents have had the collaboration of the National Crime Agency of the United Kingdom (NCA), the United States Anti-Drug Agency (Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA), Europol, the Center for Analysis and Maritime Operations in drug trafficking (MAOC-N), based in Lisbon, and the intelligence center against terrorism and organized crime (CITCO).
