In 2024, the Guardia Civil seized more than 161 tons of narcotics, 270 vessels, and arrested over 2,400 individuals.
The Director General of the Guardia Civil visited the Andalucía Zone to assess the work of 13,000 officers across the region’s eight provinces.
Mercedes González, the Director General of the Guardia Civil, met with senior officers to review the ongoing efforts in the fight against drug trafficking. In 2024, as part of the Special Security Plan for the Campo de Gibraltar, the Guardia Civil seized 161.1 tons of narcotics, including 133.5 tons of hashish and 19.9 tons of cocaine. During the same period, authorities confiscated 270 vessels and arrested 2,407 individuals involved in drug trafficking, including the seizure of 391,000 litres of fuel.
Mercedes González also conducted an aerial survey of the Guadalquivir River, where she observed the river’s topography and the various branches frequently used by drug smugglers’ speedboats to transport illicit cargo. She also saw some of the measures implemented to enhance the response against drug trafficking, such as the use of drones to improve surveillance and monitoring of areas commonly used by high-speed boats.
Key efforts include an extraordinary increase in personnel, adding 400 new positions in Citizen Security and 240 specialized roles, including Judicial Police, Maritime Service, GEAS (Special Underwater Activities Group), Canine Services, and Border Patrol. In addition, permanent reinforcement units, such as the Rapid Action Group, operate in the area.
The Director General commended the Guardia Civil’s ongoing efforts, particularly since 2018, and highlighted their adaptability to the ever-changing landscape of drug trafficking. This effort, including both human resources and material assets, will continue into the fourth phase of the plan, launched by the Ministry of the Interior.
Latest Anti-Drug Operation
During this meeting, Mercedes González also discussed a recent operation carried out in Isla Mayor (Sevilla), where the Guardia Civil seized 750 kilograms of hashish, distributed in 25 bales, along with six packages containing five tablets each. One individual was arrested for driving a van in which the drugs were concealed.
Additionally, authorities conducted a raid on an industrial warehouse, uncovering a firearm hidden in the engine compartment of an old ambulance that had been converted into a cargo van.
The Guardia Civil in Andalucía
Mercedes González held a meeting with the Guardia Civil leadership in Andalucía, where she was briefed on the current situation regarding personnel, resources, and ongoing operations across the nine command posts of the Autonomous Community.
Andalucía is Spain’s second-largest region, with 87% of its territory under the responsibility of the Guardia Civil for security matters. The Guardia Civil serves 745 municipalities—nearly half of the region’s population, which totals over four million residents.
The force relies on 13,000 Guardia Civil officers stationed throughout the region, along with the surveillance of 910 kilometers of coastline and the Guadalquivir River banks.
In 2024, more than 48,000 arrests were made, with a crime clearance rate of nearly 49%. The crime rate remained steady compared to 2023, with a slight decrease.
In addition to working in less densely populated areas, the Guardia Civil also operates in cities with populations around 100,000, such as Roquetas de Mar (Almería), Mijas (Málaga), and Chiclana (Cádiz).
Beyond their routine duties, the Guardia Civil also ensures public safety at major events with large crowds held annually in Andalucía, such as the Romería del Rocío, Virgen de la Cabeza pilgrimage, MotoGP in Jerez, and the Sanlúcar horse races.
