Europe's Sniper Solution: A New Frontier in Cocaine Wars The recent use of sniper fire by French naval forces to disable a cocaine smuggling vessel in the Atlantic has sparked debate over the escalating conflict between European authorities and narco traffickers.
The operation, dubbed "Operation Galgo," marked a new frontier in the war on drugs. As cocaine seizures have risen more than sevenfold since 2014, officials are scrambling for solutions.
The European Union's lead agency in the fight against drug trafficking, the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre (MAOC), is pushing for a more militarized approach to maritime pursuits.