The Spanish Civil Guard and the Customs Surveillance Service of the Tax Agency have arrested ten members of a criminal organization dedicated to drug trafficking as alleged perpetrators of the attack with firearms suffered by a patrol boat of the Provincial Maritime Service of Huelva during the early morning of August 17-18.
The operation has also led to the seizure of two boats known as “narco-boats” and 5,926 kilograms of hashish, dealing a significant blow to one of the criminal organizations operating in the south of the Peninsula.
Shooting attack during a chase
The events took place off the coast of Huelva when a Civil Guard patrol boat, in coordination with a vessel from the Customs Surveillance Service, began the pursuit of a semi-rigid boat suspected of participating in drug trafficking activities.
During the pursuit, the crew of the drug-running boat performed numerous evasive and extremely dangerous maneuvers, seriously endangering the lives of the officers. They also jettisoned part of their cargo into the sea in an attempt to hinder the navigation of the official vessels and cause damage to them. The situation escalated when the occupants of the semi-rigid boat opened fire on the Civil Guard patrol boat.
In response to the attack, the officers had to fire several shots to repel the aggression and contain the danger. Ultimately, the vessel managed to escape the pursuit due to a breakdown of the patrol boat during the chase.
Operation to locate those responsible
The severity of the attack led the agents to deploy a specific operation aimed at locating the vessel, arresting its crew and recovering any illegal cargo, as well as identifying possible support vessels that could come to its aid.
After locating the vessel in a new location, a coordinated raid was carried out on the morning of August 20th against it and a second speedboat that was providing support at sea. The operation culminated in the interception of both vessels, the seizure of 5,926 kilos of hashish, and the arrest of nine crew members.
Meanwhile, officers located and arrested a tenth member of the organization, who had been shot during clashes with the Civil Guard and abandoned by his own comrades on the coast of Cádiz. The wounded man was later taken to a hospital in Puerto Real.