Spain deploys Torgo I patrol vessel to combat maritime smuggling

The Spanish Tax Agency (Agencia Tributaria) is reinforcing its maritime fight against drug trafficking and smuggling with the addition of the Torgo I, a new high-seas patrol vessel. Based in the port of Brens in Cee (A Coruña), the ship is designed to patrol the Costa da Morte and other maritime areas, capable of both short and medium-range missions in open waters.

The Torgo I measures over 38 meters in length, reaches a maximum speed of 30 knots, and can carry a crew of up to 18 people with an autonomy of more than 1,500 nautical miles. This vessel joins a specialized fleet that includes the Torgo II in Tenerife, the Cóndor in Mallorca for Mediterranean control, and the Petrel I and Fulmar special operations vessels based in Vigo and Cádiz.

To maximize the fleet's effectiveness, the Customs Surveillance Service has implemented a triangulation system of surveillance zones. This strategy establishes operational poles in Galicia to counter long-distance ship-to-ship transfers, in the Canary Islands for Atlantic routes, and in the Balearic Islands for the Western Mediterranean.