The police dealt a significant blow to the leadership of the Galician drug trafficking network on Tuesday by arresting Juan Vidal Padín, also known as El Burro. The 50-year-old businessman, with no prior criminal record, has been under investigation since at least 2006 for his role as one of the main importers of cocaine from South America. His arrest was the result of a joint operation involving officers from the Central Narcotics Unit, the Civil Guard, and the Customs Surveillance Service. Vidal was captured in Vilagarcía de Arousa, where he is based with his businesses related to nautical activities, real estate, and the sale of seafood. This arrest exposed his logistical and financial capabilities, linking him to the drug submersible Poseidon that was found adrift in Arousa’s estuary last year.
Alongside Vidal, three other individuals were also detained in the same police operation. Investigators conducted a thorough search of the company Hermanos Vidal Padín, SL, in Vilaxoán, which lasted several hours. El Burro’s businesses are concentrated in a warehouse located by the sea, in close proximity to where the submersible Poseidon was found empty and adrift. Police were looking for boats or other items related to the transportation of cocaine from the Poseidon. Subsequent investigations gathered evidence linking Vidal to the daring challenge of the modern era of transporting cocaine in semi-submersibles, involving the transfer of drugs from the Poseidon to his residence during stormy weather conditions.
The issues faced by smugglers attempting to collect the cargo brought by the Poseidon at sea were allegedly resolved by El Burro, who decided to bring the submersible closer to the coast to secure the cocaine. The submarine was later found semi-sunken near Vilaxoán, Vidal’s residence location. The vessel’s vertical position made it difficult to salvage, requiring extensive maritime rescue efforts. Once brought to the port of Vilagarcía, no survivors or drug remnants were found. The tugboat Insuíña Rande, used in both Poseidon incidents, indicated the nearly identical origins of these vessels from South America, serving as motherships for drug shipments.
Juan Vidal is the latest member of a generation of drug traffickers who succeeded the historical Galician clans, with connections to large-scale cocaine trafficking through Galician shores since 2006. Despite suspicions of directing major drug landings, no evidence has directly linked him to the Poseidon cargo. His criminal career compares to another figure known as El Pastelero, both suspected of involvement in seized drug shipments without definitive proof of ownership. Despite extensive police records, El Burro has evaded capture for two decades, showcasing significant financial and business success despite his criminal reputation.
The 2009 police raids significantly disrupted the maritime operations of drug trafficking organizations in Galicia. Though the older speedboats were replaced with highly advanced and technologically equipped vessels discovered abandoned in Ribeira a year ago, illustrating the economic power of the drug traffickers and leading to the arrest of El Burro. His minimal but high-volume cocaine operations and his diversified investments across multiple economic sectors, including potential ties to Colombia, set him apart from other drug groups. The recent arrest of Vidal highlights the ongoing challenges faced by law enforcement in combating drug trafficking networks in the region.
