Bar owner in La Laguna sentenced for drug trafficking

The Provincial Court imposes a prison sentence after finding narcotics and cutting tools inside the establishment.

Generic image of police emergency lights reflecting on asphalt at night.
IA

Generic image of police emergency lights reflecting on asphalt at night.

The Provincial Court of Santa Cruz de Tenerife has sentenced the owner of a hospitality establishment in La Laguna to three years and two months in prison for drug trafficking.

The ruling follows a police operation conducted in May 2025, during which officers discovered high-purity narcotics and various tools intended for retail distribution inside the premises. In addition to the prison sentence, the court has imposed a 500-euro fine on the defendant.
The police operation was triggered by reports of suspicious activity around the bar. During the search, officers found 11.5 grams of 82% pure cocaine in an area used as a kitchen, along with precision scales, hashish, and substances commonly used to cut narcotics.

The Court found the facts proven after dismissing the defense's arguments, which attempted to justify the presence of the materials as pest control products and for personal use.

The court applied a mitigating circumstance due to the defendant's chronic substance addiction. Meanwhile, the Public Prosecutor's Office has announced it will pursue legal action for perjury against two witnesses who testified in the trial, citing contradictions in their statements regarding the purchase of substances at the venue on the night of the incident.