The Civil Guard has conducted several operations along the coasts of Andalusia and the Guadalquivir River in the last five days with the aim of attacking the logistical core of drug cartels. A total of six narco-speedboats and 400 liters of fuel destined to supply them have been seized. Additionally, five people who are currently out on bail have been arrested, according to sources close to the investigation. The proliferation of narco-speedboats and their docking in Andalusian ports and coves to seek refuge from bad weather and storms in broad daylight and seemingly with impunity has outraged local mayors. It has also highlighted the inequality of resources available to law enforcement agencies to counteract them, as demonstrated in a recent incident in Barbate, where a Guardia Civil zodiac boat was rammed by a drug clan speedboat, resulting in the death of two officers.
The recent operations were focused on dismantling the logistical apparatus of the drug clans, targeting areas along the Guadalquivir River and the coasts of Cadiz and Huelva, but extending to the entire Andalusian coast. The Civil Guard confiscated four semi-rigid boats and two smaller vessels allegedly used for logistical support, in addition to seizing 400 liters of fuel to supply the narco-speedboats. One operation even extended to Portugal, with the involvement of the Guarda Nacional Republicana, resulting in the arrest of one person and the interception of a narco-speedboat attempting to flee from a maritime patrol boat to Faro, Portugal. Portugal has become a major hub for the manufacture and transport of powerful narco-speedboats used by the Strait clans to transport hashish from Morocco.
The pressure in the Campo de Gibraltar region in recent years has forced the drug clans to diversify and expand their smuggling routes to include Portugal and the Levant. This necessitates larger, more powerful boats to spend more time at sea, refueling and arranging quick drops of drugs along the coast. The Civil Guard control point that was hit by a truck last week, resulting in the deaths of six people, including two officers, was also aimed at detecting potential narco-speedboat transports, according to anti-drug sources. Subsequent investigations found three vans loaded with gasoline near the accident site, indicating potential involvement in the drug trade. Earlier, another vehicle carrying gasoline for narco-speedboats was stopped at a different control point on the same highway.
Statistics from the Ministry of the Interior indicate that between 2018 and 2023, 1,421 semi-rigid boats used by drug traffickers have been seized. The operations in the past five days form part of the IV Special Security Plan for the Campo de Gibraltar region implemented by the Civil Guard, in coordination with units from the Customs Surveillance Service of the Tax Agency. The interception of narco-speedboats involved officers from the command posts of Algeciras, Cadiz, Huelva, and Malaga, as well as members of the Maritime Coordination and Surveillance Center, the Rapid Action Group, and the Air Service of the Civil Guard.
