Several drug boats rammed into a Guardia Civil patrol boat that was monitoring the waters between between San Roque and La Línea
The harassment of drug traffickers towards the State Security Forces and Bodies continues on the Andalucian coast. Several drug boats have rammed into the coast of Cadiz, the patrol boat Río Belelle of the Maritime Service of the Guardia Civil of Algeciras. The attack occurred near the La Alcaidesa urbanization, between the municipalities of San Roque and La Línea de la Concepción, both in the Campo de Gibraltar, as reported by the Justice Association for the Guardia Civil (JUCIL) on Thursday, March 28.
The ramming by the drug boats occurred after José Manuel Fernández, mayor of the town of Manilva in Malaga, very close to Cadiz, alerted the Government Sub-delegation in Malaga on Wednesday of the presence of at least eleven boats used by drug traffickers on the beach of his municipality. Spain banned the production and purchase of these powerful boats in October 2018 to try to curb drug trafficking. They are illegal vessels and when intercepted, they are supposed to be confiscated. However, it is common for the pilots to escape from the Civil Guard.
When the drug boats detected the presence of the Guardia Civil patrol boat, they attempted to flee, but one vessel had mechanical problems and couldn’t escape, as detailed by JUCIL. Five drug boats then came to its rescue and rammed the patrol boat of the Armed Institute in an attempt to protect the damaged vessel from being seized by the agents.
“Despite the efforts of the agents, the patrol boat suffered damage to the port aft side due to the ramming, although fortunately there were no injuries among the personnel, due to the large size of this vessel,” JUCIL reported.
This association emphasized that the attack of the drug boats on their vessel did not cause injuries due to the large size of the patrol boat. “If the target had been a smaller vessel, such as the aluminum S-20,” the result of the ramming would have been tragic. This is what happened on February 9th in the port of Barbate, when a small rubber boat of the Guardia Civil was repeatedly hit by the powerful boats of the drug traffickers and two agents lost their lives. Six people are in pre-trial detention for these events, including the three alleged drug traffickers on board the seized boat: José Israel A.B., Mustapha C., and Kiko El Cabra.
JUCIL highlighted the “bravery and commitment” of the agents of the Maritime Service of the Guardia Civil, as they “risk their lives daily” to combat drug trafficking and protect the citizens. Faced with the new attacks by drug traffickers, this association has demanded all the “support and necessary resources” to ensure the safety of the agents and the success of their work in the fight against drug trafficking.
For this collective, the recent attacks denote the “intensification of violence” by drug traffickers. “The aggressiveness shown by the traffickers in their attempt to protect their illegal activities is alarming” and “not only endangers the safety of the agents, but also that of the residents and visitors of the area,” they emphasized.
The Unified Association of Guardia Civil in Cádiz (AUGC) has also condemned the new attack by drug boats on a patrol boat of the Armed Institute and has denounced that the “violence of the drug traffickers is daily” in this province. “If we don’t see more cases like these it’s because they flee or simply don’t show up” due to lack of resources,” they warned.
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Editors comment:
It’s concerning to see the escalating violence and audacity of drug traffickers in their attempts to evade law enforcement. The dedication and bravery of the Guardia Civil agents in combating these threats deserve recognition and support. However, the lack of resources highlighted by the AUGC underscores the need for continued investment in law enforcement capabilities to effectively tackle drug trafficking and ensure the safety of both agents and the communities they serve.
