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On May 14, 2025,, the new Russian corvette "Merkuriy" was shadowed by the 'Echwege' as she left the Baltic Sea. Apparently, there is a connection to the ongoing negotiations on a possible ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. The "Merkuriy" had completed a maintenance break in the Baltic Sea and is said to be on its way to the Mediterranean. The "Merkuriy" was delivered just two years ago by the Severnaya Shipyard in St. Petersburg as the first of two "Steregutchichiy"-class corvettes for the Black Sea Fleet. 12 units have been laid down since 2006 at shipyards in St. Petersburg and on the Amur River. Following the initial delivery of four units each to the Baltic Fleet and the Pacific Fleet, two new ships are now being built for the Black Sea Fleet, which is based in Sevastopol on the temporary Russian occupied Crimea. The "Merkuriy" has not yet been able to be transferred to its home port of Sevastopol, as Turkey denied the ship the passage through the Dardanelles and Bosphorus in 2024 due to Russia's war against the Ukraine. The 'Merkuriy's' passage into the Mediterranean can also be interpreted as a sign that Russia is counting on being able to pass through the Bosphorus again soon. Russia currently has several frigates and support vessels in the Mediterranean, including the Black Sea Fleet frigate "Admiral Grigorovich," which was spotted near the Syrian coast in early May. The corvette "Soobraztelniy," a sister of the "Merkuriy," is also currently in the Mediterranean off the Algerian coast along with the Russian naval tanker "Kola," which serves as a floating refueling station. The military convoy that left the Baltic Sea on May 2 was also seen in the area this week. This convoy consists of the corvette "Boikiy" and three freighters carrying military supplies for Africa. The Russian Navy's activities along German waters were shadowed by Federal Police patrol vessels. The "Eschwege" from Neustadt, originally deployed as a training ship, was also in the Baltic Sea. It had to track the "Merkuriy" in the Fehmarn Belt at high speed. The Danish and Polish navies also deployed patrol units. The "Merkuriy" passed through the German economic zone and the Fehmarn Belt without any incidents in accordance with the provisions of the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea. Report with photos: https://www.kn-online.de/schleswig-holstein/russische-fregatte-der-schwarzmeerflotte-auf-dem-weg-ins-mittelmeer-MSR526U7U5HKZDFPNHYZC5NIKI.html?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwY2xjawKTHb5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHqCurDXw_54pAunaU3kUAbeu_DkjYJo5pwLPJMnDjf8TQOQG4HN1s6hEN4m6_aem_QqRLlA1FFjlU3pma181lqw#Echobox=1747317849

On May 14, after several days of investigation, both the 'Ceci' and its crew were released. The only person detained was the ship's cook. The ruling was issued by Federal Guarantee Judge Carlos Vera Barros. The sentence indicated that the man, identified as Jonathan Caputero, was to be held in preventive detention for 90 days. The cook had admitted to bringing the drugs onto the ship. The decision was also made following the investigation into the cell phones seized on the ship. So far, the origin of the cocaine shipment is unknown. For now, Caputero admitted full responsibility for loading the 379 loaves of cocaine into the cold storage and other parts of the vessel.

The man who died on board the 'MSC Virtuosa' following an altercation on May 3, has been named as James Messham, 60, from Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex. A 57-year-old man from Exeter, Devon, was arrested on suspicion of murder and has been released on bail, pending further inquiries by Hampshire Constabulary. Proceedings into the death had not yet been opened. Messham was part of a stag party on board the cruise ship, which was in British waters at the time.

On April 30, 2025, 469 kilos of cocaine were found aboard the 'Ceci' in San Lorenzo. The ship's cook was arrested on May 2 by the Federal Guarantee Judge Carlos Vera Barros, who also ordered the 20 Filipinmo crew members to remain on the vessel. They will not be allowed to leave the port of San Lorenzo while the investigation was continued. They were brought to an arraignment hearing in the Federal Courts of Rosario. Before Guarantee Judge Carlos Vera Barros, federal prosecutors primarily charged the vessel's cook, who was remanded in custody. The, federal prosecutors Claudio Kishimoto and Francisco Bernhardt, together with the Procunar (National Prosecutor's Office), ordered measures to further investigate a line of investigation publicly presented by the Minister of National Security, Patricia Bullrich: that the cocaine was transported on a boat that provides food to the ship. One of these measures was to request video surveillance cameras in the area and inspect warehouses for material of interest. There were no elements that implicated the port of Vicentin with the drugs. The vessel's captain was important in the procedure, as he was the one who reported the strange packages in the cold storage, with a market value of $6 million. The ship had been inspected that same morning, and after that inspection, the food supplier boarded the ship to the place where the drugs were ultimately found. Another point to be elucidated was the destination of the drugs. Although the ship's final destination was Amsterdam, it had previously stopped in Montevideo. However, it was assumed that during the voyage, it was to be thrown into the water to be collected. In this context, it became relevant that one of the 16 packages had GPS and nets, elements to lower the cocaine into the sea or river. Investigators would evaluate the possibility that the drugs had been loaded on Argentine territory. However, there was also the possibility that they had been collected in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. There were traces of salt water inside the packages which were protected by several materials that would guarantee the substance's impermeability. The drug packages were stored inside waterproof bags. The ship remained stationary in San Lorenzo as of May 15. Report with photos: https://www.infobae.com/sociedad/policiales/2025/05/03/casi-500-kilos-de-cocaina-en-un-barco-el-cocinero-del-buque-quedo-preso/

On May 15, 2025, agents from the Civil Guard and the Customs Surveillance Service were searching the 'Douce France', which has docked in the Port of Vigo, en route from Vila do Conde and Fortaleza in Brazil, on suspicion of transporting drugs inside or on its hull. Security forces started searching the vessel for narcotics, as has happened in recent months with other ships that have also been intercepted in the Port of Vigo.