The Government delegate in Andalusia, Pedro Fernández, has censured the president of the Junta, Juanma Moreno, for his "lack of knowledge, ignorance, and contempt" towards the work carried out by the State Security Forces and Corps (FCSE) in the fight against drug trafficking. His words come after the Andalusian leader sent a letter to the president of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, demanding the reinstatement of the elite unit of the Civil Guard specialized in the fight against drugs in Andalusia (OCON-Sur) this Sunday.
Through a note sent to the media, Fernández defended the effectiveness of the work of the National Police and the Civil Guard and emphasized that Moreno is "underestimating" the operational decisions made by both bodies, including the restructuring of the OCON-SUR.
"In his attempt to divert attention from his absence during weeks of the fires and earthquakes affecting Andalusia, Moreno has sent a letter to the President of the Government in which he underestimates the operational decisions made by the National Police and the Civil Guard in their action against criminal groups, among which is the restructuring of the OCON SUR," indicated the delegate.
Fernández also considers it "striking" that Moreno admits the need to tackle the fight against criminal groups in a comprehensive manner, "beyond police action, to combat the social support that fuels these organizations." In his view, this stance highlights the "inability" of the Andalusian Executive to promote employment, education, housing, and social integration policies that "improve the living conditions of the population and offer alternatives to activities linked to drug trafficking."
MORE THAN 190 MILLION FOR THE SPECIAL PLAN
The delegate emphasized that one of Pedro Sánchez's first decisions upon arriving at La Moncloa was to activate in 2018 the Special Security Plan for the Campo de Gibraltar, which he described as the first police strategy against drug trafficking approved in democracy and a "pioneering tool" in Europe for its global and multidisciplinary approach.
In the framework of this plan, the central Government has allocated more than 190 million euros to the reinforcement of personnel, to the improvement of specific material and technological means against drug trafficking, to the increase of specialization and training, as well as to the promotion of international strategies. By 2026, the Executive plans to invest 38.2 million euros in the Special Plan, 1.3 million more than in 2025.
Fernández has also emphasized that the intervention of the FCSE "is not limited to the seizure of drugs," but also "seeks to dismantle the logistical and economic structures that support the activities of criminal groups, through coordination with various government agencies and international entities in the design of strategies for the dismantling of drug trafficking groups."
This deployment has been accompanied, as he pointed out, by an increase in the personnel of the National Police and Civil Guard in Andalusia to "reverse the cuts made during the mandates of the PP." Currently, the community has about 30,500 agents between both bodies, which represents 4,096 more than in 2018.
NEARLY 48,000 POLICE OPERATIONS
The Government delegate in Andalusia has claimed the effectiveness of the Special Security Plan based on the results accumulated since its implementation. During this time, the FCSE have recorded 47,862 police operations and 31,335 people detained or investigated.
In this same period, 47,862 actions have been counted, 31,335 detained or investigated, 2,179,973 kilos of drugs seized, 1,909,715 marijuana plants seized and destroyed, 1,884 firearms removed, 124.44 million euros in cash seized, 9,728 vehicles immobilized, and 2,146,127 liters of gasoline apprehended.
OCON-SUR, FROM TEMPORARY DEVICE TO FIXED STRUCTURE
In relation to OCON-SUR, Fernández has specified that it was born as a temporary structure, conceived to provide a provisional response to the needs of the first Special Security Plan.
He has recalled that in September 2022 this device became a permanent structure, integrating all its personnel into the ordinary staff of the Civil Guard, with the aim of offering a response "better adapted to the dynamics of criminal groups."
For this reason, the Government delegate maintains that Moreno's statements on this matter "lack rigor" and demonstrate an "absolute lack of knowledge" of the operational decisions made by the Civil Guard. Fernández has reiterated that the results obtained by the FCSE support the strategy applied by the central Government and has defended that the fight against drug trafficking must combine police action with policies that address the social and economic conditions that facilitate the establishment of criminal organizations.