Three agents of the Civil Guard have been injured this Wednesday after an intercepted vessel off Cabo Cope, in Águilas (Murcia), rammed the patrol boat they were traveling in when its occupants tried to avoid their detention. The two crew members of the boat have been arrested.
One of the injured civil guards needed five stitches, according to information released by the Unified Association of Civil Guards (AUGC). So far, the extent of the injuries suffered by the other two agents has not been disclosed. The investigation is judicialized and the proceedings will have to determine the exact circumstances of the ramming.
The action took place during a Civil Guard operation developed by land, sea, and air in waters near Cabo Cope. The intercepted vessel was equipped with two engines and was carrying 20 jerrycans of gasoline, according to information provided by the Government Delegation in the Region of Murcia.
An operation prepared for weeks
The operation that allowed the location and interception of the vessel had been in preparation for weeks, as explained by the Government delegate in Murcia, Francisco Lucas.
"The work and monitoring of the members of these mafias is continuous, and the coordination of all units of the Civil Guard has allowed the successful completion of an operation that had been in preparation for weeks," Lucas pointed out.
The initial information released by the Government Delegation placed the vessel within actions against networks dedicated to the irregular transportation of migrants to the Murcian coasts. Some subsequent reports have described the boat as allegedly dedicated to "petaqueo," the activity of supplying fuel to other vessels.
After it became known that three agents had been injured, Lucas explained that he had spoken with the captain of the Maritime Service of the Civil Guard and with the other two affected officers to convey his recognition.
Four arrested this week in two operations
The two arrests made at Cabo Cope add to two other arrests made on Monday in waters near Cartagena. In that operation, the Maritime Service of the Civil Guard intercepted another vessel located about 12 miles southeast of Monte Cenizas.
In this way, the two operations carried out this week in the waters of the Region of Murcia have resulted in four people arrested.
The Government delegate has defended that surveillance over the Murcian coastline is maintained continuously against the organizations that operate on these routes and has reaffirmed the commitment of the Executive to the fight against networks dedicated to the irregular trafficking of people.