A joint operation against drug trafficking carried out on Tuesday by agents of the National Police, Civil Guard, and Customs Surveillance Service in Vilagarcía de Arousa has resulted in the arrest of six people, including Juan Manuel Vidal Padín, also known as El Burro. Vidal, who has been under police surveillance for almost 20 years, is considered the alleged mastermind behind the transportation of cocaine by the narco-submarine Poseidon, which was seized a year ago in the Arousa estuary, presumably after unloading the drugs and when it was adrift without power. Following a day of searches at Náutica Vidal, Vidal’s boat sales and supplies business, agents found four speedboats similar to those used in drug deliveries. One of these boats, with a length of 16 meters and four engines of 420 horsepower each, was ready to sail and could reach speeds of 50 knots and high seas in just four hours of navigation.
The detainees have been questioned by agents from the Central Narcotics Unit and the Civil Guard, assisted by lawyers, some of whom were appointed to represent Juan Vidal. It is expected that on Thursday they will appear before a judge at the court of instruction number 1 in Vilagarcía, who has been leading the investigations into El Burro’s suspicious activities over the past year, leading to the joint operation. The investigations that led to Vidal’s arrest after two decades in the crosshairs of the fight against drug trafficking began with the discovery in February 2023 of two speedboats in Ribeira (A Coruña), mysteriously abandoned with powerful engines and fuel. The police believe these boats were about to embark on a journey, but something prevented them, possibly bad weather or coordination issues with the mother ship.
The police have connected this discovery with the Poseidon narco-submarine found two weeks later. The semi-submersible vessel was found half-sunken in Vilagarcía by a sailor. Upon examination, it was found to be empty but capable of carrying around 5,000 kilos of cocaine. The police suspect that for unknown reasons, the drugs onboard were not collected at sea, causing the semi-submersible to reach the coast, just a kilometer from Vidal’s properties. Investigators believe that the estimated three tons of cocaine onboard were hidden in Vidal’s properties. According to the Government Delegate in Galicia, Pedro Blanco, the investigations are ongoing, with one of the six arrested individuals apprehended in the Canary Islands. The investigation also includes alleged money laundering in several countries.
The operation comes after last week’s police action against a network involved in the construction and transportation of semi-rigid speedboats. Agents, under a Vigo court’s direction, linked the ten individuals involved in the operation with the two boats found in Ribeira a year ago. Raids were conducted in various locations, including Noia, Vilanova de Arousa, A Estrada, Bertamiráns, and Portonovo, leading to the seizure of molds for narco-speedboats and a truck used for transportation. The Government Delegate in Galicia praised the security forces for their “lengthy” and “highly satisfactory” work in dismantling this criminal organization and capturing one of the alleged leaders of the Galician drug cartel. Subscribe for the latest updates on this ongoing investigation.
