• The boarding was carried out by the Customs Surveillance patrol boat "Petrel" 500 miles from the Canary Islands

• The only crew member of the boat, of Portuguese nationality, was arrested

• The deterioration of the sailboat caused it to sink, so the drugs and the detainee were transferred to the Petrel for transport to the port of Vigo.

February 28, 2024.- The Customs Surveillance Service of the Tax Agency, the National Police and the Civil Guard, in a joint operation, intercepted, on February 21, 500 miles from the Canary Islands, a sailboat named 'Assashio', eleven meters long and flying the Venezuelan flag, which was carrying about 200 kilos of cocaine, pending official weighing, divided into eight bales.

Following the boarding by the Customs Surveillance patrol boat 'Petrel', the sole crew member, of Portuguese nationality, was arrested and the cargo was transferred to the patrol boat, given the state of deterioration of the sailboat which caused its subsequent sinking.

The narcotic substance was found spread throughout the interior of the boat without any concealment, which is logical given its small size.

The operation was the result of international collaboration thanks to intelligence from the French Customs Service (DNRED) and the US DEA, channeled through the Center for Analysis against Maritime Drug Trafficking in the Atlantic (MAOC) and coordinated by the Center for Intelligence on Terrorism and Organized Crime (CITCO).

The operation culminated with the arrival of the 'Petrel' today at the port of Vigo, for the unloading of the drugs and subsequent transfer of the detainee to the National Court by the Civil Guard, Customs Surveillance and National Police.

Atlantic route

This operation is in addition to those already carried out by the Tax Agency and the Security Forces in the fight against drug trafficking on the so-called 'Atlantic Route' of cocaine, known for being used by fishing boats, merchant ships, semi-rigid vessels and, as in this case, sailboats from South America and the Caribbean, which transfer narcotic substances in the middle of the Atlantic for their subsequent introduction into the European continent.

The success of this type of action is the result of the excellent collaborative work between several European and national organisations (MAOC, CITCO) and the different police and customs bodies, as well as, in this case, the cooperation of the DNRED and DEA authorities.