Its 15 crew members have been arrested, 12 of them Venezuelans, 2 Spanish (Galician) and 1 Italian. The assault took place about a thousand miles from the Canary Islands

June 2, 2008. The Tax Agency seized 3,600 kilos of cocaine in the early hours of Saturday to Sunday on board a Venezuelan-flagged ship named “San Miguel” that was located about 1,000 miles northwest of the Canary Islands. Its fifteen crew members have been arrested, twelve of them Venezuelans, two Spaniards, residents of Galicia, and one Italian. The value of the drug on the market could have exceeded 200 million euros.

Officials from the Customs and Excise Department of the State Tax Administration Agency, aboard the Special Operations Patrol Boat “Petrel-I”, assaulted the Venezuelan fishing vessel based in the port of Pampatar (Margarita Island) and 16 meters long. length, with the name “San Miguel”. On board it was transporting 144 bales of cocaine, weighing about 25 kilos each, which can reach a total of about 3,600 kilos of cocaine. The ship is in precarious condition, lacks documentation and did not fly any flag at the time of the action.

The operation has been developed and directed by the Court of Instruction number 7 of Vigo and was carried out in international waters in an area between the Azores Islands and the Canary Islands, after authorization from the authorities of Venezuela for the boarding of the ship, which was carried out without any incident.

The fishing vessel “San Miguel”, which is being towed by the Customs Surveillance vessel “Petrel-I”, is heading to the port of Vigo (Pontevedra), where the detainees will be placed at the disposal of the Judge who is hearing the case and the corresponding count and weighing of the drug involved.

The operation, called “Antilla”, has been a consequence of the Tax Agency's investigations intensified in the last month and aimed at identifying means of transporting cocaine from South America to Spain. The operation remains open in Galicia with several registrations in the last hours.

The ship “Petrel-I” will arrive at the port of Vigo on Thursday the 5th at 12:00 in the morning, with the drugs seized and the ship seized. Interested media may take images of the arrival and unloading of the drugs, as well as statements from those responsible for the Tax Agency.