In a covert operation worthy of a spy movie, Irish authorities intercepted the MV Matthew vessel, loaded with 2.25 tons of cocaine, valued at over 157 million euros, meant for distribution in Ireland and Europe. What initially appeared to be a “common” drug trafficking operation ended up revealing a global criminal network connecting South American cartels, Hezbollah, Iranian operators, and the Irish Kinahan cartel, with Venezuela as the central hub for shipping.
The shipment was financed with five million euros in cash, advanced by the Kinahan criminal organization—based in Dubai—in partnership with international drug traffickers and Iranian fundraisers for Hezbollah, as revealed by an investigation from The Journal.
🛑 The drugs were loaded offshore near Venezuela, using maritime data manipulation techniques (“spoofing”) to evade satellite detection. From there, the MV Matthew set sail to Europe, camouflaged under a Panamanian flag and with fake documentation issued by a “shell company” registered in the Marshall Islands.
Venezuela: logistics hub for global organized crime
This scandal reinforces what analysts and experts have been warning about for years: Venezuela is no longer just a failed state, it is a criminal enterprise. Under the protection of Nicolás Maduro’s regime, the country operates as a logistical and political platform for transnational drug trafficking and terrorism networks.
Judicial sources confirmed that Hezbollah operators in Venezuela played key roles in the shipment. This connection is not new: the Chavista regime maintains close alliances with Iran and its armed proxies, facilitating routes, infrastructure, and diplomatic protection for trafficking drugs, gold, weapons, and even human beings.
Whatsapp, Signal, and the global crime board
The operation was coordinated through Whatsapp and Signal groups, where Kinahan cartel members from Dubai interacted with operators in Iran, Venezuela, Germany, Turkey, the Netherlands, and the UK. The real-time control and tracking reveal an alarming level of sophistication.
European intelligence (MAOC-N), in conjunction with elite Irish units, managed to anticipate the unloading and thwart the delivery of the haul. Eight individuals, including an Iranian captain, a Ukrainian sailor, and a Dutch operator with Iranian links, received sentences ranging from 13 to 20 years in prison.
What does this mean for Venezuela?
The Venezuelan territory was crucial in the most critical phase of the operation: the supply chain.
Hezbollah, a military and terrorist actor sponsored by Iran, operates with impunity within the country.
Maduro’s regime facilitates or tolerates these networks, becoming a direct accomplice of transnational crime and global terrorism financing.
This case highlights that the drug trafficking route has transformed, shifting towards darker geopolitical enclaves protected by ideological alliances.
The story of the MV Matthew is not just an isolated case of drug trafficking. It is brutal evidence that Venezuela has become a bridge between global organized crime and the financing of international terrorism. Every ton of drugs that leaves its shores is a direct affront to global security.
Today it was Ireland. Tomorrow it could be any other port in the world.
Venezuela Hezbollah narcotráfico
MV Matthew cocaine Venezuela
Hezbollah in Latin America
Kinahan cartel and Venezuela
Maduro and transnational organized crime