The Maritime Service of the Civil Guard in the Bay of Cadiz is forced to patrol in zodiac-type boats, known as 'gomas', due to a shortage of captains and more suitable means to confront dangerous narco-boats. These small vessels, despite having a larger length than those used in the tragic Barbate incident, do not offer sufficient safety against high-speed speedboats.
Sources from the Civil Guard indicate that officers work 24-hour shifts in these zodiacs, some measuring 12 meters in length, in one of the most critical drug trafficking hotspots in Andalusia. The situation is exacerbated when comparing the available resources with the 'fleet' of over 600 narco-boats operating in the Strait of Gibraltar, a growing vulnerability for national security according to reports from the Ministry of the Interior.
The most effective patrol boats against narco-boats, such as the 18-meter Aister HS60, are often out of service. In Cadiz, one of these patrol boats has been in the shipyard for eight months due to deformation of its aluminum frames after a chase. This leaves the Maritime Service with insufficient means, relying on the expertise of the agents, who risk their lives in questionable safety conditions.
The most powerful narco-boats, some up to 16 meters long and powered by four engines, can reach 60 knots (111 km/h). The most powerful vessel in Cadiz, the Río Irati (Rodman 66), measuring 22 meters, only reaches 46 knots, which is insufficient to intercept the fastest speedboats and the vessels used for trafficking illegal immigrants.
Despite the limitations, agents continue to make seizures, particularly against organizations involved in 'petaqueo' (fuel supply). However, the S43 zodiacs, measuring twelve meters, offer no guarantees against drug traffickers armed with AK-47 rifles. Furthermore, fatal accidents, such as the one in Huelva where two civil guards lost their lives during a pursuit, underscore the serious risks they face.
The mobility of the vessels leaves coastal areas unprotected. The Ministry of the Interior has reinforced surveillance on the Guadalquivir River, deploying patrol boats from Malaga and Huelva to close this drug access route, amid concerns about narco-boats reaching Seville.
