The face of Norwegian soccer star Erling Haaland appeared on hundreds of cocaine packages seized from a truck near Ecuador's border with Colombia, adding an unusual detail to the discovery of nearly half a metric ton of drugs.
Ecuadorian police intercepted the truck in Guagua Negro, an area south of Tulcán in the northern province of Carchi. During an inspection, officers discovered 370 blocks concealed inside a specially constructed compartment in the vehicle.
The packages contained 469.6 kilograms, or approximately 1,035 pounds, of cocaine, according to Ecuador's Prosecutor General's Office. Initial police reports described the seizure as approximately 370 kilograms, but prosecutors later clarified that 370 was the number of individual blocks, not the shipment's total weight.
Images released following the operation showed packages marked with Haaland's name and face, along with soccer-related symbols, including a ball and a depiction of the FIFA World Cup trophy.
Authorities have not suggested that Haaland, the Norwegian international and Manchester City striker, has any connection to the shipment. His image appears to have been used as a brand or identifying mark by the traffickers responsible for packaging the cocaine.
Drug trafficking organizations frequently stamp cocaine bricks with names, letters, commercial logos, animals and images of celebrities. The markings can distinguish shipments, identify suppliers or help criminal groups keep track of merchandise as it moves through international trafficking routes.
Police arrested the truck's driver, identified by prosecutors as María Camila R., a Colombian citizen. She was charged with alleged large-scale trafficking of controlled substances and placed in pretrial detention following a court hearing. The judge also authorized a 30-day investigative period.
In addition to the cocaine, authorities seized the truck and a cellphone as evidence. Investigators are now working to determine where the drugs originated, their intended destination and whether other people participated in the transportation operation.
The seizure was carried out as part of an operation known as "Cero Impunidad - Encuentro 112," according to El Diario. The investigation reportedly relied on information received through Ecuador's Línea 131 rewards program.
Tulcán sits close to Ecuador's land border with Colombia, making the surrounding province of Carchi an important transit area for legal trade as well as international drug trafficking. Police regularly inspect commercial vehicles traveling through the region for concealed compartments and other modifications used to transport narcotics.
Infobae added that authorities have not confirmed whether the cocaine entered Ecuador from Colombia, despite the location of the seizure and the nationality of the detained driver. They also have not identified the criminal organization believed to own the shipment.
Approximately four metric tons of illegal substances have been seized in Carchi so far in 2026, while about 110 people have been arrested in the province for drug-related offenses, according to figures cited by local media.
Ecuador has become a major transit and export point for cocaine produced in neighboring Colombia and Peru. Trafficking groups move the drug through the country toward ports and other departure points, often concealing shipments inside fruit containers, commercial cargo or vehicles equipped with hidden compartments.
For now, Haaland's image is the most visible clue attached to the confiscated packages. Investigators must still determine who placed it there, who controlled the cocaine and where the nearly half-ton shipment was supposed to go.
