Drug trafficking networks operating between North Africa and southern Spain are using hashish smuggling routes, jet skis and speedboats to transport irregular migrants into Cadiz, police sources told LA RAZON.
Criminal organizations based in the Spanish autonomous city of Ceuta and along the Moroccan coast are employing the exact same infrastructure used for smuggling drugs to run human trafficking operations across the Strait of Gibraltar, according to law enforcement officers.
Police agents reported that the phenomenon is a consolidated, routine business model rather than a temporary reaction to recent migration pressure in Ceuta. Officers explained that gangs seek to profit from every available resource, using jet skis that normally carry 200 to 300 kilograms of hashish to transport two or three migrants per crossing instead.
When smugglers need to move larger groups of people across the sea, they deploy small fishing or recreational boats measuring between seven and ten meters in length. Police stated that these craft, some of which are stolen before use, regularly carry between 12 and 14 passengers into the Campo de Gibraltar region.
Surveillance flaws and coastal landings
The Strait of Gibraltar maintains one of the heaviest maritime surveillance deployments in Spain, overseen by the Civil Guard through the Integrated External Surveillance System, known as SIVE. The radar network is designed specifically to detect vessels involved in drug smuggling and illegal immigration.
However, police sources stated that several SIVE radar units along the Cadiz coast remain completely out of service. Officers on the ground reported that unusable equipment is not being repaired due to a lack of allocated funding, which severely limits the ability of law enforcement to track and intercept incoming boats.
Smuggling networks familiar with the local geography carefully adapt their tactics to avoid capture. Police officers noted that while jet skis and small craft usually land in quiet, secluded areas, smugglers also make rapid runs onto crowded public beaches to drop off passengers before authorities can respond.
Calls for coordination and port controls
Law enforcement sources emphasized that curbing the illicit trade requires stronger detection systems and tighter coordination between maritime patrols and ground units. Officers warned that without immediate ground interception, migrants quickly leave coastal landing sites before police can locate them.
Officers also urged direct action at vessel departure points in North Africa. For departures originating in Morocco, police called for deeper international cooperation to resolve diplomatic obstacles that hinder law enforcement operations. For departures originating inside Ceuta, officers insisted that controls must be concentrated directly within the city's port area.
Police officers confirmed having seen migrants waiting in the port zone of Ceuta before boarding jet skis or small boats bound for Cadiz. However, agents acknowledged that existing law enforcement resources are often insufficient to intercept every vessel attempting the crossing.
Reception procedures in Algeciras
Law enforcement officials rejected claims that recent arrivals are purely an isolated emergency, noting that human trafficking along the Campo de Gibraltar coast is a continuous daily routine that rarely makes public headlines.
When migrants reach the Spanish coastline or are rescued at sea by Maritime Safety vessels, they enter standard administrative channels. In the Campo de Gibraltar district, individuals are transferred to the Temporary Care Center for Foreigners, known as CATE, located in the port city of Algeciras.
Police sources stated that migrant stays at the Algeciras facility usually last less than 24 hours. After initial identification and processing, individuals are released while their formal administrative procedures remain ongoing under Spanish law.
Anti-drug group warns of growing crisis
Concerns over the expanding trade have also been raised publicly by community leaders in southern Spain. Francisco Mena, the president of the anti-drug coordinating group Alternativas, warned that drug trafficking cartels are increasingly deploying speedboats, known as narcolanchas, to move migrants.
Mena called for an immediate reinforcement of maritime and coastal surveillance across the Campo de Gibraltar to halt the practice, warning that the commercial alliance between drug cartels and human smuggling risks growing further without stronger deterrence.
