Usage Note
Contrabandista is a common-gender noun — el/la contrabandista — referring to anyone who deals in contraband or smuggled goods. It is derived from contrabando (contraband/smuggling). In historical contexts it often refers to tobacco or alcohol smugglers; in modern usage it covers drug traffickers as well, though narcotraficante is more specific for drugs.
Examples
"La policía detuvo a varios contrabandistas en la frontera."
Natural Translation
The police arrested several smugglers at the border.
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