• These exercises are usually carried out in order to establish and verify communication, activation, coordination and action protocols in the fight against drug trafficking.

June 20, 2025.- The Tax Agency's Customs Surveillance and the Civil Guard, as part of their usual joint operational protocol, conducted an anti-drug trafficking exercise off the northern coast of the province of Alicante and the southern coast of Valencia on June 11. These exercises are usually carried out in order to establish and verify communication, activation, coordination and action protocols in the fight against drug trafficking. 

The drill consisted of the Integrated External Surveillance System (SIVE) detecting a semi-rigid vessel approximately seven nautical miles east of Cabo de la Nao across Cullera beach. This alerted the Complex Operational Center (COC), and a helicopter from the Civil Guard Air Service in Valencia was dispatched to the scene.

After confirming that it was a suspicious vessel linked to drug trafficking, Customs Surveillance vessels in Alicante, along with vessels from the Civil Guard's Maritime Service, began pursuing it. At the same time, the Permanent Operational Coordination Center, CECOP, of Customs Surveillance, and the Complex Operations Center were notified to the COC of Valencia, activating the patrol boat "Colimbo IV" of Customs Surveillance based in Ibiza and the patrol boat 'Río Júcar' of the SMP of the Civil Guard of Valencia, which ended the pursuit of the target after the helicopter of the Civil Guard air service picked up an agent who pretended to be a drug trafficker who fell into the water, the operation ended in the area of El Brosquil, south of Cullera.

The offshore patrol boats "Arao" and the interceptor boat "Colimbo IV" of the Tax Agency's Customs Surveillance participated in the drill. Meanwhile, the Civil Guard intervened with the deep-sea vessel "Rio Adaja," the "Río Júcar," two helicopters from the Valencia-based Air Service, and the Special Underwater Activities Group (GEAS). All of them were directly involved or provided support during the exercise.

Prior to and following the exercise, coordination meetings were held within the framework of the operational coordination protocol between the Customs and Excise Department of the Tax Agency and the Deputy Directorate of Operations of the General Directorate of the Civil Guard. These meetings were held both to prepare the maneuvers and to subsequently assess their progress. These meetings demonstrated not only the professional excellence of all the specialists but also the excellent climate of understanding and collaboration between members of both forces.