Italian authorities seize 1,700 pounds of cocaine hidden in banana shipment worth $290 million

Italian law enforcement officers uncovered approximately 1,700 pounds of cocaine concealed among banana pallets at the Port of Vado Ligure, marking one of the largest drug interdictions at the facility in recent memory. The narcotics were packaged into 650 individual units and strategically hidden within a refrigerated shipping container that originated from a primary port in Ecuador, according to the Guardia di Finanza.

Field testing confirmed the substance as exceptionally pure cocaine, officials said Tuesday. Had the shipment succeeded in reaching European street markets, authorities estimate it would have generated approximately 250 million euros, equivalent to nearly $290 million in revenue for trafficking networks.

The successful operation stems from sustained investigative work examining commercial shipping routes connecting South America to Vado Ligure, a critical European entry point that has become increasingly vulnerable to international drug smuggling operations. Officials emphasized that the seizure demonstrates ongoing efforts to dismantle narcotics trafficking networks and shield vulnerable populations from drug-related harms.

The Italian bust follows a recent discovery by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Pharr Port of Entry in Texas, where canine units and advanced imaging technology detected 1,173 pounds of cocaine hidden in 477 packages within a commercial produce trailer carrying cabbage. The Texas seizure carried an estimated street value of $10.8 million.