Police seize 1,000 pounds of cocaine with stickers of soccer star
Police released a video showing the packages spilling out from the truck's false bottom, with the stickers of Norway's soccer star Erling Haaland.
Updated on: August 13, 2026 / 6:46 AM EDT / CBS/AP
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.