Comment by defrost

It's equally, if not more, probable that the intelligence about shipment departures came from non-US MAOC-N members and the "the operation" of tracking the craft was where the US liasons provided assistance.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maritime_Analysis_and_Operatio...

The US isn't the only country with agents blending in on the supply side keeping eyes and ears on activity.

The EU end has had repeated success infiltrating and cracking 'encrypted' criminal networks on the demand side of such markets.