A Guardia Civil patrol boat is being transported from Vigo to Cadiz as pressure mounts for stronger action against drug traffickers operating along Andalucia’s coast.
The Rio Manzanares, belonging to the force’s Maritime Service (SEMAR), was filmed travelling by road under escort.
SEMAR patrols Spain’s coastline and territorial waters, tackling drug trafficking, smuggling and other crimes at sea.
Its crews intercept suspected drug boats, support maritime rescue operations and enforce fishing and environmental regulations.
The Guardia Civil said traffic officers from Caceres participated in the transport operation, which required specialist planning and road safety measures.
The move comes amid increasingly forceful demands from Andalucia president Juanma Moreno for more resources to confront drug gangs.
Moreno recently warned that trafficking organisations were expanding along the coast and that any confrontation could end in another tragedy.
‘Enough is enough,’ he said, calling for additional equipment and the full support of the state for police officers.
His comments followed an incident near the mouth of the Guadalquivir in which a suspected drug boat rammed a Guardia Civil patrol vessel, leaving officers with minor injuries and resulting in five arrests.
The regional government has also demanded the restoration of OCON-Sur, the specialist anti-drug coordination unit.
Antonio Sanz accused the central government of failing to respond to Moreno’s request to reactivate it, arguing that officers needed stronger operational support against increasingly well-equipped criminal organisations.
He warned that traffickers were using high-speed boats and military weapons while police faced shortages of suitable resources.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
