Triple crime in Isla Cristina: civil guards demand to recover the antinarco body that was dissolved by Marlaska

Triple murders in Isla Cristina have sparked demands from civil guards for the government to restore a specialized anti-drug unit dissolved years ago. The incident occurred in the Rocío neighborhood of Isla Cristina, Huelva, where three people were killed in a shooting believed to stem from a dispute among drug-related families. Among the victims was a pregnant woman in her eighth month of pregnancy, a 62-year-old woman, and a 16-year-old boy. The Association of Unified Civil Guards (AUGC) has directly criticized the Ministry of the Interior and Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska over what they describe as operational and human neglect affecting civil guards stationed in southern Spain. According to the association, while officials insist security is fully guaranteed, officers on the ground continue to face heavily armed criminal organizations with insufficient personnel and delayed resources. The discontent stems from a decision made by the Ministry of the Interior in September 2022 to dissolve the Southern Coordination Against Drug Trafficking Unit (OCON-Sur). This elite group had been available around the clock, seven days a week, and had effectively curbed drug trafficking activities. One officer from the Campo de Gibraltar command noted that the unit's presence significantly altered the dynamics against organized crime. At its peak, the unit comprised approximately 130 to 150 highly trained agents specializing in drug trafficking, money laundering, organized crime, and corruption networks. In autumn 2022, the ministry disbanded the structure, redistributing its members into territorial commands. The AUGC warned at the time that without a specialized, coordinated, and permanently reactive unit, pressure on criminal gangs would dissipate entirely, allowing drug trafficking to spread to Huelva and along the Guadalquivir River. In response to this institutional neglect, the AUGC has presented the government and other parliamentary forces with eight urgent measures aimed at halting the escalation of criminal activity in southern Spain. Their top priority is the reinstatement of OCON-Sur as a permanent, stable, and organic entity, expanding its operations to include Huelva province, the Guadalquivir River basin, and the entire Andalusian coastline. They also demand the immediate designation of the Andalusian coast and the Balearic Islands as Zones of Special Singularity (ZES), accompanied by economic incentives and professional benefits to prevent ongoing staff attrition and retain operational expertise in high-risk areas. This should be supported by structural reinforcement of staffing with fixed posts and updated catalogs to address the shortage of personnel, alongside modernization of maritime, land, and aerial equipment to match the logistical capabilities of criminal groups. Additionally, the AUGC seeks immediate recognition of the profession as high risk, legal protection, and institutional support during high-impact interventions, as well as security plans to protect civil guards and their families from threats and direct intimidation by criminal clans. Mayor Genaro Orta of the municipality described the scene after the crime as "dantesque." In addition to the three bodies lying on the ground, Orta recalled that there were "a lot of spent cartridges" surrounding them. The suspected perpetrators attempted to evade detection by the authorities.