OCEAN: The Largest Cocaine Seizure Made at Sea & more – 13th Jan 2026

Ahoy from BA! This is the Rorshok Ocean Update from the 13th of January twenty twenty-six. A summary of what's going down in the 70% surface of the Earth covered in saltwater.

Let’s kick off this edition with an update to a story from last week’s show, as U.S. forces seized an Iran-linked oil tanker with a Russian flag on Wednesday, the 7th.

Before seizing the tanker, the UK defense ministry received a request for assistance from the US, which then relocated its military assets to the UK, including aircraft and gunships.

U.S. officials reported that the Russian military started relocating naval assets and a submarine to safeguard the ship prior to its seizure. When the vessel was off the southern coast of Iceland in the North Atlantic Ocean, US forces boarded it.

Russian authorities called the US move a twenty-first-century act of piracy that violated international law.

Speaking of seizures, Spanish maritime law enforcement has carried out Operation White Tide, resulting in the largest cocaine seizure ever made at sea.

Operation White Tide is an international action led by Spain, with support from the U.S., the UK, France, and Portugal, focused on disrupting cocaine smuggling.

Spain’s Navy and the Special Operations Group boarded a vessel suspected of smuggling drugs from Latin America to Europe near the Canary Islands, uncovering a massive quantity of cocaine hidden aboard. The authorities seized almost 10,000 kilograms (22,000 pounds) of cocaine and a firearm. All thirteen crew members have been arrested.

The cargo ship ran out of fuel after being boarded. It drifted in the ocean for about twelve hours before Spain’s rescue team arrived and towed it to the Canary Islands.

The biggest previous Spanish official cocaine seizure occurred in nineteen ninety-nine.

Meanwhile, South Africa is demonstrating its maritime power to the world with a joint maritime exercise named Will for Peace twenty twenty-six. It began on Friday, the 9th, and will run until Friday, the 16th, in waters and airspace near the Port of Simon's Town.

South Africa’s military says the exercise aims to safeguard shipping and maritime economic activity. By Friday the 9th, ships from Iran and Russia arrived at Cape Town. Ships from China, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates will join later. Indonesia, Brazil, Egypt, and Ethiopia have sent observers.

The drills may worsen the relationship between South Africa and the U.S.

This week, the National Retail Federation forecasted that container volumes imported into the U.S. main ports are likely to be lower than last year’s levels, at least until May.

The tracker data showed that January may see a temporary rise ahead of the Lunar New Year factory shutdowns, which is around the 15th of February, but from February to April, data is expected to show declines of four to twelve per cent year-over-year, and probably rise again in May.

Retailers and analysts said slowing global trade, unpredictable tariffs, and reduced post-holiday demand are key factors that will drive the decline.

In terms of global container shipping rates, the Drewry World Container Index has increased by about 16%, mainly due to the growth in Transpacific and Asia-Europe trade routes.

Freight rate increases are most notable on Asia-to-North America and Asia-to-Europe trades, despite a broader decline in cargo volumes.

With the upcoming broader U.S.–China trade measures, uncertain tariff decisions, and unresolved security risks in the Red Sea, carriers may struggle to maintain high rates in twenty twenty-six if demand does not recover.

Speaking of uncertainties in the Red Sea, traffic through the Suez Canal remains about 60% lower compared to levels before the Houthi attacks on commercial shipping, even though the Red Sea has been peaceful for over a hundred days.

Even though attacks have decreased and war-risk insurance premiums have fallen, most carriers still avoid the canal, preferring routes around the Cape of Good Hope because of ongoing security concerns and economic uncertainties. A slow and cautious return is beginning, with companies like CMA CGM and Maersk testing transits, but a complete recovery of Suez traffic remains out of reach.

Returning to the Suez Canal would significantly lower shipping costs for companies but is also expected to decrease container ship demand by about 10%

Since we mentioned attacks, piracy and armed robbery incidents increased significantly around Singapore and the Straits of Malacca last year, according to the monitoring operation ReCAAP Information Sharing Center.

Last year, 108 incidents were reported in the area, representing a 74% increase from the previous year and the highest number since two thousand seven. Even though the incident rate is high, most of these are minor thefts, including attempted thefts of scrap metal, engine spare parts, and ship stores.

Meanwhile, the United Nations reported on Thursday, the 8th, that growing challenges in the shipping industry will worsen as global trade slows down.

Even though global trade exceeded expectations in twenty twenty-five, its growth is expected to slow in twenty twenty-six due to ongoing trade barriers, policy uncertainties, and a decline in trade expansion. Investment is expected to stay modest in most regions, influenced by tighter financial conditions and cautious corporate behavior. This weakness is likely to directly impact freight markets, the maritime supply chain, and investment strategies.

As the temporary boost from early loading before the tariff change begins to disappear, it's a gentle reminder for ports, carriers, and shipbuilders who are hopeful for a rebound in cargo volumes.

On Friday, the 9th, a severe winter storm swept across the English Channel overnight, causing twenty-four containers near UK ports to fall into the sea.

The storm intensified rapidly at night. The highest wind gust reached ninety-nine mph (160 kilometers per hour) accompanied by rain or snow. The UK’s Maritime & Coastguard Agency reported that an unnamed ship lost seventeen reefer containers, while a second vessel lost seven empty containers.

UK authorities had aircraft searching for the lost containers, but emphasized that shipping companies are responsible for locating and retrieving containers that have fallen overboard.

UK officials said that some of the boxes might have sunk in the water.

In news about US maritime labor, the Department of Labor is investing nearly fourteen million dollars in workforce training programs aimed at strengthening the country’s shipbuilding and maritime manufacturing labor pool.

The funding is designed to support specialized shipbuilding trades, reach one million registered apprenticeships across the country, and promote innovative production methods like modular construction and icebreaker design. Delaware County Community College and Massachusetts Maritime Academy will invest jointly.

The funding also aligns with the Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance, which was announced by the Trump administration in April last year, and supports the increasing collaboration among the U.S., Finland, and Canada on Arctic shipbuilding.

More on the U.S., as Hanwha Defense USA and startup software company HavocAI have formed a strategic partnership to jointly design and produce vessels for the U.S. Navy and defense forces.

The program aims to deliver more vessels with greater speed and capabilities at a lower cost for the U.S. It leverages Hanwha’s shipbuilding capacity and HavocAI’s advanced autonomy software to develop large autonomous warships capable of missions like force protection, surveillance, logistics, and strike operations.

Production is scheduled to start within the next two years.

And to close this edition, the Head of Cruise at Wärtsilä, Maike Arts, wrote in The Maritime Executive that liquefied natural gas or LNG has proven to be a practical and mature fuel option for the cruise industry, helping reduce emissions and meet tightening environmental regulations.

LNG-powered cruise ships significantly reduce sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter, supporting cleaner operations at sea. Cruise lines that invest in LNG infrastructure or dual-fuel engines are strategically preparing for upcoming carbon-reduction regulations.

Even though challenges like fuel pricing remain, Maikel still believes that the maturity and reliability of LNG are sufficient to promote its wider adoption in the cruise fleet.

Aaand that’s it for this week! Thank you for joining us!

Quick question, is there a specific monopoly you think is a big problem? Let us know at info@rorshok.com

See you next week!