Police in Ecuador seize 1,000 pounds of cocaine bearing the face of soccer star Erling Haaland; woman arrested

Norway’s soccer star Erling Haaland’s face has appeared on billboards, trading cards and television screens, becoming a social media phenomenon for scoring seven goals across four World Cup matches in July.

Now, police in Ecuador have found it in an unexpected place — printed on green rectangular packages that made up a stunning cocaine shipment seized in a truck near the Colombian border.

The driver of the vehicle was arrested following the seizure of the stash of 469 kilograms (1,034 pounds) of cocaine on Wednesday, police said in a statement.

A news release said anti-narcotics agents were conducting an operation following an anonymous tip received early Tuesday morning on the Pan-American Highway when they noticed a suspicious truck. After searching it, they found 370 packages hidden in a false bottom of the truck.

Police released a video showing the packages spilling out from the truck’s false bottom, with the stickers of Haaland — often called a “pretty princess” and “babygirl” by his fans — clearly visible.

Haaland was one of the top scorers and most charismatic players at the World Cup held in Mexico, the United States and Canada, and his imposing stature, goofy sense of humor and seemingly endless appetite sparked a wave of creative viral videos and memes.

Ecuador is considered to be a logistical hub for drug trafficking, where drugs are stockpiled, stored and distributed via Central American routes mainly to the United States, though narcotics are also shipped to Europe.

Police said a woman identified only as María R., with Colombian identity documents, was arrested in Wednesday’s operation in the area of Guagua Negro, near the border city of Tulcan, 246 kilometers (153 miles) north of the capital Quito.

The estimated value of the shipment is nearly $842,000 on the domestic market, and more than $11 million in the U.S. and more than $19.6 million (17 million euros) in Europe.

In Ecuador, local criminal gangs allied with Colombian and Mexican cartels manage the routes and ship the narcotics, 80% of which originate in Colombia and the rest in Peru.

In the first half of this year, police reported seizing 80 tons of drugs, while in 2025 authorities confiscated nearly 215 tons, primarily cocaine. In 2024, the amount reached almost 295 tons.

Cocaine with creative packaging

Police provided no explanation for the stickers with the image of the golden-haired Norwegian striker. However, it is common practice for drug traffickers to label their shipments with the names of well-known sports figures and other celebrities as a way of signaling which criminal network produced the merchandise and which client it belongs to.

Haaland is not the only soccer star apparently favored by drug smugglers — the image of Argentine national team captain Lionel Messi has also appeared on another seized package.

Packages of drugs are often packaged with other distinct designs. Last year, a beachgoer in Florida found nearly $500,000 worth of cocaine wrapped in “Yosemite Sam” packaging washed up on shore.

In August 2024, tourists on a Florida beach found a package with 16 bricks of suspected cocaine wrapped in packaging depicting a dune buggy.

In June 2024, boaters off the coast of the Florida Keys found 65 pounds of cocaine — in packages emblazoned with bald eagles —floating in the ocean.

Just weeks earlier, divers found about 55 pounds of cocaine about 100 feet underwater off Key West. Images released by the sheriff’s office showed packages marked “Nike SB,” with imitations of the footwear brand’s iconic swoosh logo on the front.