Two Guardia Civil officers have died during a dramatic anti-drug trafficking operation off the coast of Huelva.

The deaths occurred after two police boats collided while pursuing a suspected narco vessel, sparking outrage in the police community.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez last night said he was ‘devastated’ by the incident and sent ‘all his affection’ to the affected families.

The tragedy unfolded on Friday morning in waters between Punta Umbria and Mazagon during an operation targeting smugglers along Andalucia’s Atlantic coast.

According to the Guardia Civil, one officer – identified only as German – was killed in the collision while three other officers were injured.

A second officer, named as Jeronimo Jimenez Molero, was a veteran captain from Malaga province with more than three decades of service fighting organised crime at sea.

Molero, 56, was rescued alive after the crash and airlifted in a critical condition to a hospital in Jerez, but doctors were ultimately unable to save him.

Jimenez Molero leaves behind a wife and three children.

The captain had built a long and distinguished career within the Guardia Civil after joining the force in 1994.

Following initial training in Nerja, he served in Guipuzcoa between 1999 and 2005 before returning to Málaga, where he held a series of senior operational and communications roles.

During his years in Malaga province, he worked within the Guardia Civil’s communications office, managed emergency call operations through the 062 control room and later held leadership positions in Alhaurin el Grande and Marbella.

It was during his posting in Alhaurín el Grande that he reportedly met his wife, Inma.

In 2020, his latest promotion saw him transferred to Huelva as captain of the Maritime Service – one of the most dangerous anti-narcotics assignments in southern Spain.

Colleagues described him as an experienced officer who remained heavily involved in frontline maritime operations despite his senior rank.

Only months ago, he reportedly suffered multiple broken ribs during another intervention involving a narco-boat.

Outside his police work, Jimenez was known as a keen sportsman who regularly trained in the gym.

Over his career he received numerous commendations and decorations, including three white-cross Guardia Civil Merit awards, a silver Guardia Civil Merit Cross, the plaque of the Royal and Military Order of San Hermenegildo and a Military Merit Cross.

The other officer killed in the collision was German P., a 54-year-old veteran officer originally from Aragón who had spent years serving on Andalucía’s Atlantic coast.

He died instantly in the collision.

According to preliminary findings, both deceased officers were travelling aboard the semi-rigid Guardia Civil vessel involved in the crash.

Investigators believe the two police boats were attempting to block the narco-boat’s route at high speed when the collision occurred.

Two other officers were also injured during the operation, including a corporal who remains in a serious condition in hospital in Jerez.

The Guardia Civil has launched an investigation into the precise circumstances surrounding the crash.

The tragedy has once again highlighted the growing dangers faced by police battling increasingly aggressive narco-trafficking networks operating along Andalucía’s coastline.

A major rescue and security response has since been mobilised from Cadiz, including a helicopter, a Customs Surveillance Service vessel and additional maritime units tasked with both rescue operations and the continued pursuit of the fleeing narco-boat believed to have triggered the operation.

The Guardia Civil publicly expressed its grief over the death of the officer and sent support to the injured agents and their families.

The Unified Association of Guardia Civil Officers, AUGC, also issued a statement expressing its ‘shock’ over the tragedy and sending ‘strength, support and affection’ to relatives and colleagues.

Meanwhile, Antonio Sanz, Andalucía’s regional minister responsible for emergencies and security, said he was ‘devastated’ by the death of the officer.

‘All our support and wishes for the speedy recovery of the injured agents. Rest in peace,’ he wrote.

Emergency agency 112 Andalucía also paid tribute to the officer, describing him as having died ‘in the fight against drug trafficking’.

No further official details have yet been released regarding the exact circumstances of the collision or whether the suspected narco-boat ultimately escaped.