Juanma Moreno demands central government boost anti-drug resources in Andalusia

Moreno urges central government to send anti-drug reinforcements

The president of the Regional Government of Andalusia, Juanma Moreno, called on Spain's central government on Saturday, 12 September 2026, to reinforce law enforcement resources in the southern autonomous community. Moreno issued his formal request through a public statement posted on his official account on social media platform X. He classified the drug trafficking situation across Andalusia as one of maximum gravity that demands a forceful and immediate intervention from the central executive. In his message, the Andalusian president explicitly questioned the central government regarding the timing of additional reinforcements for regional security personnel.

When is the Government of the Nation going to reinforce resources?

Moreno stated that the ongoing expansion of illicit narcotics operations across southern Spain requires an urgent institutional response from national authorities. The regional leader argued that local and regional services face severe pressure from trafficking networks and cannot counter the escalation without expanded resources from Madrid. He emphasized that the central state holds the primary responsibility for providing the necessary police and logistical assets to safeguard the region.

Prosecution report documents growing violence and weapons of war

Moreno's appeal followed the release of findings in the 2025 annual report by the State Attorney General's Office on anti-narcotics enforcement. The public prosecution service warned in the document that violence linked to organized drug networks has become increasingly visible throughout the autonomous community. According to the prosecution, the specific geographic location and social characteristics of Andalusia make it one of the territories most severely impacted by the narcotics trade in the country. Prosecutors observed that the problem is probably more visible and less concealed in Andalusia than in any other Spanish region.

The State Attorney General's Office is warning about it: drug trafficking is expanding in Andalusia and violence is increasing.

The prosecution's annual report expressed explicit alarm regarding the weapons seized alongside illicit narcotics. Investigators reported an increasing presence of firearms as well as the confiscation of military-grade weapons, described as weapons of war, during operations targeting drug shipments and inland storage caches. The document noted that organized gangs are demonstrating a greater willingness to deploy lethal weapons to protect their illicit cargoes from rival groups and security forces.

Speedboats expand operations across Andalusian coastline

The prosecution's judicial findings also detailed how organized trafficking networks are modifying their maritime transit patterns across southern Spain. High-speed vessels, commonly known as narcolanchas, have expanded their operational presence far beyond traditional smuggling routes in the Strait of Gibraltar. The report noted an open exhibition of these high-speed crafts as smuggling syndicates navigate coastal waters with increased visibility.

According to data from the prosecution, high-speed vessels are shifting their routes and logistical supply runs to the provinces of Huelva, Almería, and Málaga with increasing frequency. This territorial dispersion has widened the operational front for maritime patrols and provincial law enforcement commands. Moreno maintained that countering this widespread presence of speedboats and armed groups requires the central administration to supply immediate reinforcements, modern maritime patrol vessels, and enhanced judicial support across all affected provinces.