The Air Force has reported spotting migrants during a surveillance mission in the Mediterranean as part of its duty with FRONTEX, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency.
On October 24, an alert was raised regarding a fiberglass vessel, noted for its good buoyancy conditions, navigating international waters towards southern Spain, around the Cartagena area.
Onboard were over a dozen men, including young minors.
The following day, the Portuguese detachment identified four vessels carrying migrants in irregular situations, one of which had a baby onboard.
These small vessels, equipped only with a motor, were traveling over 200 kilometers between North Africa and southern Spain, the report stated.
All incidents were reported to FRONTEX and the Spanish authorities.
The Air Force is participating in FRONTEX’s Operation INDALO 2025, with the Portuguese detachment operating from Málaga since March 19. This mission is scheduled to conclude on November 26, 2025.
The primary aim of Operation INDALO is to combat irregular immigration and other forms of transnational crime in the Mediterranean, according to the report.
