Ten members of a drug trafficking organization arrested after a shooting against the Civil Guard in Huelva

The Civil Guard and the Customs Surveillance Service have arrested ten members of an organization dedicated to drug trafficking after the occupants of a drug boat opened fire on a patrol boat during a chase off the coast of Huelva. The operation has also resulted in the intervention of two boats and 5,926 kilos of hashish.

The attack occurred during the early hours of August 17 to 18, when a vessel from the Huelva Provincial Maritime Service, acting in coordination with Customs Surveillance, began pursuing a semi-rigid vessel suspected of participating in a drug trafficking operation.

The occupants of the narco-boat then fled, carrying out very dangerous maneuvers and throwing part of the cargo into the sea to hinder the progress of the official vessels. The chase took a serious leap when they opened fire on the agents.

The Civil Guard assures that the troops had to respond with several shots to repel the attack. Despite this, the drug boat managed to escape after the patrol boat broke down during the chase.

The attack launched a specific device to locate both the perpetrators and other vessels that could provide support.

The search was successful on the morning of August 20. The agents located the drug boat again and detected next to it a second boat that was allegedly coming to their aid. A coordinated operation allowed the two semi-rigid boats to be boarded and nine of their crew members arrested.

The tenth arrest took place separately and presents one of the most striking circumstances of the operation. The man had been wounded by a gunshot during the confrontation with the Civil Guard and was later abandoned by his own companions on the coast of Cádiz.

After being located by the agents, he was transferred to the Puerto Real hospital to receive medical assistance.

The investigation remains open to determine the degree of participation of each detainee both in the attack against the patrol boat and in the drug trafficking operation.

The event occurs at a time of growing concern about the violence used by drug trafficking organizations operating on the Andalusian coast. Civil guard associations have been warning in recent months of the increasingly frequent use of firearms and the operational capacity of the gangs that operate in Huelva, Cádiz and the area around the Guadalquivir.

Huelva has also acquired a growing weight on the routes used by networks dedicated to introducing hashish from North Africa. In previous operations carried out in the province, the Civil Guard had already seized large quantities of drugs, high-speed boats and thousands of liters of fuel intended to supply the drug boats.

This week's operation included members of the Provincial Maritime Service of Huelva, the Special Intervention Unit, the Organic Unit of the Judicial Police of Huelva, the Regional Center for Analysis and Intelligence against Drug Trafficking and Customs Surveillance.

The proceedings are directed by the Central Court of Instance of the National Court acting as guard.