A German retired couple is standing trial in Rostock under heavy security for allegedly smuggling 263 kilograms of cocaine with an estimated street value of 15 million euros aboard a sailing yacht, according to reports from German media outlet Bild and Portuguese authorities.
The Arrest of the Sailing Yacht Target
According to the public prosecutor’s office and documentation from the Polícia Judiciária, 59-year-old Rene M. and his 67-year-old wife Monika Z. were intercepted off the coast of Portugal in August 2025 aboard their sailing yacht named “Target.” Law enforcement discovered approximately 263.73 kilograms of compressed cocaine hidden beneath elements such as a fold-down bed in the cabin. The seized narcotics carry an estimated market value of roughly 15 million euros. Investigators state the shipment originated from a South American cartel.
Courtroom Security and Defendant Testimony
The trial in Rostock involves heightened security measures, featuring masked and heavily armed officers from Germany’s Spezialsektoreinsatzkommando (SEK) leading the defendants into a courtroom with closed curtains and prohibited photography, due to fears of cartel retaliation. Despite wearing a protective vest in the courtroom, Rene M. chose to testify first. He confessed to the smuggling run without hesitation while attempting to absolve his wife, testifying that Monika Z. knew nothing about the drugs and that he alone bore the responsibility.
Motives and Background Presented at Trial
Rene M. testified that his involvement began through debts owed to an Albanian individual who initially lent him a sum of money for his dying father’s operation, a sum that later escalated. Unable to repay the debt, he accepted a smuggling assignment brokered by what he termed “the network” on behalf of backers in Turkey and Colombia. He also described marital strain, admitting to an affair with a younger Colombian woman named Emily during a prior voyage that was aborted when he jettisoned 75 kilograms of cocaine after running into distress at sea. According to his testimony, Monika Z. insisted on joining the subsequent voyage to Colombia to salvage their marriage despite having no sailing experience. Monika Z. has not issued a formal statement on the matter, though she has occasionally interrupted proceedings to correct timelines.