The vessel, along with another that will operate in Galicia, has been renamed Torgo I and will join the fleet of the Customs Surveillance Service (SVA). These patrol boats, built in Dubai, are approximately 38 meters long, possess considerable autonomy, and are capable of high-speed navigation in open seas, making them ideal for long-duration operations far from the coast.
The choice of the Canary Islands as a destination is due to its strategic position on the Atlantic cocaine routes. Surveillance in the archipelago often begins hundreds of miles from the coast, where sea conditions and distance influence operations.
The two patrol boats were intercepted in August 2025 in the Strait of Gibraltar aboard the vessel Lila Mumbai, which was transporting them to Benghazi, Libya. The operation was a response to the international embargo decreed by United Nations. Following the seizure, a judicial procedure was initiated, culminating in the boats' assignment to the SVA.
The final destination of these patrol boats, manufactured to reinforce a Libyan militia, is paradoxical as they now join Spanish assets to combat drug trafficking. The State Tax Administration Agency (AEAT) thus expands its fleet with vessels that will serve a very different purpose than originally intended.
The arrival of Torgo I coincides with increased pressure on Atlantic routes, where drug trafficking organizations are diversifying their methods, using everything from merchant ships to semi-submersibles and operating from support points on the African coast. The position of the Canary Islands makes it a key stopover and surveillance zone in this corridor.
This new patrol boat will complement the tasks of the SVA's oceanic vessels, aircraft, and ground units, and will enhance coordination with the Civil Guard, the National Police, and other customs services. Its capabilities will allow for surveillance over greater distances, longer stays in maritime zones, and effective responses to fast boats or suspicious operations.
