Drug Baron Launches Scandalous Tours, But Authorities Didn't Like It

80-year-old former drug baron Laureano Oubiña attempted to launch boat tours through the sites of his past hashish and tobacco smuggling in Galicia. The region's tourism inspection blocked the project, deeming it illegal and damaging to Galicia's image. Oubiña has no intention of giving up the idea and is planning new routes.

80-year-old Spanish former drug baron Laureano Oubiña decided to monetize his criminal past by launching boat tours through the sites of his past hashish and tobacco smuggling in Galicia. He planned to personally accompany tourists on a two-deck vessel, recounting his criminal youth. Ticket price: 189 euros per person, capacity up to 150 passengers. Route: from O Grove in Pontevedra province to Ribeira in A Coruña, with a stop on Ons Island. Galicia's tourism inspection conducted a review after tickets were nearly sold out and blocked the project. Reasons: the organizer of the trips must be a licensed travel agency, and the project 'causes obvious damage to the tourist image of Galicia.' Authorities reminded that the region still struggles with drug flow: in 2025 alone, over 11.5 tons of banned substances worth 800 million euros were seized. Despite the ban and a three-week deadline to rectify violations, Oubiña states he has no intention of abandoning the idea and is already planning new routes along Portugal's coast and other regions of Spain.