A joint operation by the Tax Agency and the Guardia Civil

• The vehicles arrived at the port in containers destined for the African continent.
• The market value amounts to two million euros

February 20, 2023.- The Tax Agency and the Civil Guard, within the framework of the 'American Stuff' operation, have recovered 24 vehicles stolen in the United States at the port facilities of Algeciras.

Investigators, in the context of risk analyses carried out at the port of Algeciras during 2022, had detected an increase in the illicit trafficking of high-end vehicles from the United States via containers.

As a result of the control, identification and inspection work on containers destined for or in transit through Spain, which is carried out daily at the container terminal in the port of Algeciras, a phase of intensification of services aimed at checking containers in transit that may carry stolen vehicles from the USA destined for African countries began at the beginning of the year.

As a result of the operation, a total of 24 high-end vehicles were seized during the month of January, with a total market value of two million euros.

Following the appropriate checks, the agents confirmed that the vehicles were stolen and that they were returned to the United States, with whose authorities they are collaborating in order to continue the investigations.

The operation was carried out by Customs Surveillance officers from the Tax Agency (Combined Customs Surveillance Unit of Algeciras) and Civil Guards from the Office of Fiscal Analysis and Investigation (ODAIFI), both attached to the Risk Analysis Unit (UAR) of the Algeciras Customs.