The AUGC union, representing Guardia Civil officers in Malaga, has issued a stark warning regarding the inadequate resources for maritime surveillance along the Costa del Sol. According to spokesperson Rafael Sánchez, the force possesses only two boats, but due to personnel shortages, just one can be deployed at any given time.
Sánchez explained that there are insufficient officers to deploy both simultaneously, adding that the existing vessels are also aging. "On the Andalusian coast, we are working on the front lines against organized crime, facing weapons of war and without sufficient resources," he stated.
“"On the Andalusian coast, we are working on the front lines against organized crime, facing weapons of war and without sufficient resources."
This outcry comes as narco gangs are increasingly operating with brazenness and impunity in Andalusian waters. Recent videos have captured suspected traffickers dancing at sea and waving cheekily at cameras as they leave busy marinas. In a particularly audacious act, three Spanish Navy boats were stolen during a military exercise off the coast of Cadiz while left unguarded.
The AUGC union has long been demanding better resources, including more boats and personnel, to combat increasingly powerful and well-equipped criminal organizations. The current situation, with only one functioning patrol boat, allows traffickers to operate with a sense of complete impunity along the coast.
The union has sent a letter to the government's sub-delegation in Andalucía detailing the "worrying situation" and calling for more staff. Sánchez described the response, which he claims merely involved forwarding the letter to the Guardia Civil itself, as "outrageous."
