Guardia News

Four migrants died after being thrown from a speedboat yards from a beach in Cadiz in southern Spain, Guardia Civil police and rescue service said on Wednesday.The boat was carrying a total of 27 immigrants, 23 of whom arrived alive.Images published on social media and carried by local media, whose authenticity has not yet been confirmed by Reuters, show a black inflatable speedboat circling in heavy tides off the beach and people onboard pushing others off the side, who start to swim in the swell."We saw a drug trafficking boat arriving but they weren't trafficking drugs but with migrants.

Italian authorities have seized a record 5.3 tonne cocaine haul being transferred between ships off the southern coast of Sicily, police said on Friday.The consignment had an estimated value of 850 million euros  ($946 million) and five people have been arrested, the Guardia di Finanza said in a statement. Police had been tracking a ship that sailed from South America and swooped in the early hours of Wednesday, when a surveillance aircraft spotted packages being thrown from its…

The Spanish coastguard rescued two Nigerian migrants who stowed away on the rudder of a ship that arrived in the Canary Islands from Togo, a coastguard spokesperson and the police said on Tuesday.After being rescued on Monday night in the port of Las Palmas, the migrants were taken to a hospital.

Spanish police on Monday impounded a superyacht belonging to Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg on behalf of U.S. authorities, the first time the United States has seized property belonging to a Russian oligarch since its invasion of Ukraine in February.Valued at more than 90 million euros ($99 million), the 78-metre-long "Tango" (255 ft) was seized in a shipyard on the Mediterranean island of Mallorca, the Guardia Civil police and the U.S. Justice Department said in parallel…

The Spanish Maritime Safety and Rescue Society in cooperation with ACSM, the Spanish provider of subsea services, have this week recovered the wreckage of a light aircraft Piper PA-34 Seneca, which fell into the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of delta de l'Ebre, close to Tarragona in Spain, at a water depth of 113 meters.Together with the aircraft, the SASEMAR/ACSM recovered the body of one of the pilots and return it to the family.The light aircraft disappeared from the radar on the November 3rd…

The first design project is the 50-m Explorer yacht, designed by Hydro TecThe Duò family, with their hundred years of experience in military, paramilitary and civil shipbuilding, has ventured into the luxury boat sector. The Vittoria Shipyard has launched Vittoria Yachts, the new division, dedicated to designing and building yachts, able to draw on the production capacity and know-how developed over almost a century of business experience, adding over 870 units to the new market segment of luxury yachting.Leading Vittoria Yachts on their journey are Paolo Duò…

Dr. Ricaurte Vásquez Morales was sworn-in during a ceremony held at the Panama Canal Administration Building in Panama City, becoming the fourth Panamanian Administrator of the waterway shortly before it celebrates its 20th year under Panamanian administration on December 31, 2019.Administrator Vásquez an economist with more than 30 years’ experience in the public and private sector said: "Just a few months short of the 20th anniversary of the transfer of the Canal to the Panamanian people, we face a distinctly different reality today. Trade now travels along different routes.""This new global reality, in which the Canal operates, requires us to redefine and adapt our business.

The Panama Canal Board of Directors announced the appointment of Ricaurte Vasquez as the next Panama Canal Administrator.According to a press note from the artificial 82 km waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean, Vasquez will take office on September 4, 2019, succeeding current Administrator Jorge L. Quijano, who concludes his seven-year term at the helm of the waterway.The decision was made by the Board of Directors in accordance to an independent, transparent and rigorous process mandated by the Panamanian Constitution and Organic Law of the Panama Canal Authority."As part of the Panama Canal Authority's autonomous institutional process…

Marlins, V.Group’s training business, has approved two new test centres in Panama and Ethiopia. The test centre in Panama is the first Marlins approved test centre in Central America. The centres – E4Seafarers in Panama and Andromeda Marine Surveying and Consultancy PLC in Ethiopia will offer both Marlins UK Maritime and Coast Guard Agency (MCA) approved STCW testing and certification as well as English language testing. Bisrat Hailu, general manager, Andromeda Marine Survey and Consultancy plc adds: “Our aim is to support Ethiopia’s efforts to become a force in the shipping industry by providing high-end training and consultancy services to existing as well as prospective seafarers in the country.

Italian police found more than 20 tonnes of hashish with an estimated street value of 200 million euros ($230 million) hidden in the hull of a cargo ship, a statement said on Friday. Acting on a tip, finance police -- who help oversee border security -- boarded the ship at sea and diverted it to the port of Cagliari in Sardinia, where they spent more than 18 days searching before finally finding the drugs, according to a statement. During the search, police used cranes to move enormous blocks of granite carried by the Jupiter cargo ship, which is registered in the Cook Islands. They eventually found 821 packages of hashish weighing a total of 20.5 tonnes in a ballast tank in the bow of the ship. The ship's captain and nine crew members, all Syrian, were arrested, the statement said.

Gondan GRP Division has handed over two 36 knots maximum speed patrol boats. Yesterday the GRP Patrol Boats built for the Maritime Service of the Spanish Guardia Civil by Gondan Shipyard were officially delivered in Cádiz, Andalucía. With an overall length of 20.9 meters and a beam of 5 meters, the boats built in Fiber (GRP) in Gondan’s Castropol yard, sailed to destination, arriving at Cadiz and Algeciras ports, from where they will operate. These two Patrol Vessels were designed and equipped for surveillance…

Following on from the incredibly successful 2014 campaign, Sea Shepherd Global launches Operation Siracusa 2015. Led by Sea Shepherd Italia, the campaign aims to defend the fragile ecosystem of the Plemmirio Marine Reserve, off the Eastern coast of Siracusa in Sicily, against illegal fishing. Already, the impact of the 2015 campaign has been felt. On Friday May 22, the first day of patrols for Operation Siracusa 2015, Sea Shepherd volunteers came across a vessel that they suspected to be engaged in illegal fishing activity. The vessel was discovered at night, with two divers close-by in the water, at the border of the “A-Zone” - the maximum protected area in the Reserve. Sea Shepherd immediately notified local authorities of the suspicious activity.

The first of the two Patrol Boats built for the Spanish Guardia Civil was launched at Gondan Shipyard’s facilities in Ribadeo. The contract was signed last summer. With an overall length of 20.5 m and a beam of 5.0 m, these boats have been built in Aluminum and Fiber (GRP) in Gondan’s Vegadeo yard. Both are scheduled to be delivered this summer. These two Patrol Vessels are designed and equipped for surveillance, fighting drug trafficking and illegal immigration, plus protection of the marine environment, according to the duties of the Guardia Civil.

Rolls-Royce has secured a contract to supply waterjets for two Spanish Police Guardia Civil 20m Patrol boats in Spain. These vessels will be built by Astilleros Gondan Shipyard. This is the first time Rolls-Royce waterjets will feature on Guardia Civil boats, which operate in challenging conditions of strong winds and currents in demanding circumstances. The stainless steel series waterjets have high fuel efficiency due to good towing capability and acceleration as well as excellent durability. This enables them to have low servicing requirements, helping to meet the demands made of them during the lifetime of the vessel. Jose Antonio Losada…

Gondan Shipyard has recently signed a contract with the Guardia Civil, Spain’s Civil Guard, for the building of two patrol boats. The aluminum and fiber (PRFV ) vessels will measure 20.5 meters in length  and 5 meters in breadth and will be built at Gondan Shipyard’s facilities in Vegadeo. Delivery is scheduled for Summer 2015. According to Gondan, the patrol boats are conceived for long range sailing and designed and equipped for surveillance missions, fight against drug trafficking and irregular immigration as well as protection of the marine environment…

Together with its Italian partner yard Cantiere Navale Vittoria S.p.a., Damen Shipyards are building two Stan Patrols 5509 to the Italian Guardia di Finanza. This Italian law enforcement agency deals with financial crime, smuggling, illegal immigration and narcotics traffic and maintains a fleet of about 250 vessels. The contract, resulting from a European tender, may be considered quite a unique event, said Frank de Lange, sales director North, West and South Europe at Damen Shipyards Gorinchem.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Robert C. Bonner and Italian Customs Director General Mario Andrea Guaiana announced the Port of Livorno as the 33rd operational Container Security Initiative (CSI) port. The stand-up of Livorno completes the expansion of the Container Security Initiative in Italy. CSI developed along the guidelines set forth in the declaration of principles signed in November 2002 between Commissioner Bonner and Italian Customs Director General Mario Andrea Guaiana. CSI has been operational at the ports of Genoa and LaSpezia since June 2003. Most recently, the port of Naples became operational on September 30, 2004, and the port of Gioia Tauro on October 29, 2004.

Nine new vessels designed by world famous racing boat driver and designer Fabio Buzzi and fully equipped with Raymarine electronics, have been delivered to the Guardia di Finanza, the militarized customs and border patrol service responsible for preventing financial crime and smuggling in Italy. The nine boats were officially handed over to the Guardia di Finanza at a ceremony attended by the Italian Minister of the Interior Roberto Maroni. FB Design utilises Fabio Buzzi’s expertise to create high speed patrol boats.

Nine new vessels designed by race boat driver and designer Fabio Buzzi and fully equipped with Raymarine electronics, have been delivered to the Guardia di Finanza, the militarized customs and border patrol service responsible for preventing financial crime and smuggling in Italy. The nine boats were officially handed over to the Guardia di Finanza at a ceremony attended by the Italian Minister of the Interior Roberto Maroni. FB Design utilises Fabio Buzzi’s expertise to create high speed patrol boats.

Despite a fall in the overall number of vessels forecast to be delivered from shipyards until 2007, the value of the propulsion systems installed in newbuilds is expected to show a rise from 2004, reaching nearly $5-billion by 2007 on the strength of increasing power requirements. A new business study entitled The World Marine Propulsion Report 2003-2007* predicts that newbuild deliveries measured by tonnage will grow by four-percent over the five years, against a fall in vessel numbers of 10-percent. However, the propulsive power embodied in the newbuild influx should increase by eight-percent compared with the 1997-2002 period. The market for main engines…

The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) reached a critical milestone for the Canal Expansion Program moving ahead on time and on budget. Culminating months of arduous work, the ACP received Grupo Unidos por el Canal’s (GUPC) performance and payment bonds and signed the contract. Today, ACP Executive Manager and Locks Project Management Division and Contracting Officer Jorge de la Guardia issued the Notice to Commence work slated for August 25, 2009. The scope of work included in the…

Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc.'s survey vessel, the Ocean Alert, was cleared for departure by the Spanish Guardia Civil on Saturday, July 14; however, because of a need to replace required paperwork that was removed from the ship's bridge during the inspection and a holiday that found authorities unavailable to provide documentation required for departure, the ship has not yet departed. The ship had been detained in the Spanish port of Algeciras since Thursday, July 12, 2007, undergoing a thorough inspection by the Guardia Civil. The search and detention was apparently conducted as a result of a court order to look for evidence that Odyssey's recent "Black Swan" discovery was made in Spanish waters…

On July 28, 2005, Rodriquez’s Intermarine shipyard in Sarzana launched the Bigliani Class VI Series Fast Patrol Boat G124 Cavatorto. The G124 Cavatorto will be formally delivered in approximately eight months and is an evolution of the Bigliani class training vessels, Marino e Pedretti developed for the Italian Navy in 1998. The 27m vessel is built 100% of composite, and is capable of speeds up to 40 knots. It will be used by the Guardia di Finanza as a coastal patrol vessel to fight against illicit smuggling and contraband activities. The launching cerimony was presided over by Gen. Walter Peruzzo, commander of the Guardia di Finanza Regione Liguria and by the Director of the Intermarine Yard, Mr. Edoardo Cossutta.