Spain is set to treat violent drug traffickers as ‘pirates’ after a series of dangerous attacks on police boats in the waters off Andalucia.

The Special Anti-Drug Prosecutor’s Office has instructed the Guardia Civil and Policia Nacional to gather evidence from every incident in which smugglers ram or attack law enforcement vessels.

For future offenders, authorities will now seek to add piracy charges alongside drug trafficking offences – increasing potential jail time by 10 to 15 years.

It comes after a landmark Supreme Court ruling in April broadened the legal definition of piracy after years of escalating violence involving narco boats in the Strait of Gibraltar and along Spain’s southern coast.

It followed a series of deadly collisions between so-called narcolanchas and police vessels, the most infamous being in Barbate, Cadiz, in 2024, when two Guardia Civil officers were killed.

Under the new guidance, chief anti-drugs prosecutor Rosa Ana Moran has ordered investigators to gather as much evidence as possible whenever smugglers deliberately target Guardia Civil, Policia Nacional or Customs Surveillance vessels.

Although the directive is most relevant to cases that may eventually reach Spain’s National Court because they occurred in international waters, prosecutors have made clear it should also apply to attacks within Spanish territorial waters.

The prosecutor’s office argues that Spain’s Criminal Code refers simply to offences committed ‘at sea’, meaning the focus should be on the seriousness of the violence rather than where it occurred.

The change is expected to have its biggest impact in the Strait of Gibraltar and along the Cadiz coast, where violent confrontations between high-powered narco boats and law enforcement have become increasingly common.

Investigators have now been instructed to document every act of aggression in detail, including dangerous manoeuvres, attempted collisions and threats against officers.

Whenever possible, officers must also collect photographs, video footage and other evidence capable of demonstrating the seriousness of each attack.

The guidance applies not only to the powerful rigid inflatable boats commonly used by traffickers, but also to sailing boats and other vessels involved in smuggling operations.

By strengthening the evidence gathered during these incidents, prosecutors hope to bring piracy charges more frequently and significantly increase the legal consequences for organised criminal groups.

Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.