Black Eagle: 3 criminal organizations dismantled, 20 arrests

The Carabinieri of the Provincial Command of Trento executed a precautionary custody order today, September 22, 2026, against 20 people. The operation, named "Black Eagle," targeted three criminal organizations active in international drug trafficking and the smuggling of illegal migrants.

The precautionary measures were carried out in the early hours of the morning across nine Italian provinces: Trento, Bolzano, Vicenza, Verona, Rovigo, Rome, Frosinone, Varese, and Ragusa. During the searches, an additional 700 grams of cocaine and 70 grams of hashish were seized.

The investigation, launched in 2021, has already led to the seizure of approximately 82 kg of cocaine and the reconstruction of over 1,300 drug transactions. The organizations also used trucks rented in Trentino to transport migrants illegally from Slovakia to Italy via the Balkan route.

Operation "Black Eagle" originated from an investigation launched in June 2021 by the Carabinieri of the Investigative Unit of Trento, with the initial goal of combating cocaine trafficking in the Trentino province. Under the direction of the District Anti-Mafia Prosecutor's Office of Trento, the investigations extended until November 2024, utilizing telephone, environmental, and digital interceptions.

During the investigations, a second criminal branch managed by the same organizations emerged: the international trafficking of illegal migrants. The criminal groups brought people to Italy via the "Balkan route," renting trucks in the Trentino province with untraceable payments to transport migrants from Slovakia to Italy through Hungary and Austria.

Today's operation represents the culmination of over five years of investigations that have already led to seven arrests in flagrante delicto and the seizure of large quantities of drugs, including 60 kg in Paraguay and 8 kg in Peru. The three dismantled organizations were thus managing two parallel and interconnected illicit businesses.