The operation, conducted using the coastal patrol boat (LPC) Bojador from the Coastal and Border Control Unit (UCCF), aimed “to detect illicit cross-border activities and monitor irregular immigration flows,” according to a statement from the GNR.
During the operation, “a suspicious vessel was identified, along with an apparently unconscious body on the ground accompanied by several individuals, presumably migrants.”
The statement indicated that GNR officers immediately flagged the incident, alerting the relevant emergency authorities.
“The rescue operation was promptly mobilized, including the swift dispatch of a specialized medical team transported via a maritime rescue helicopter to assess the clinical condition of the victim,” the note stated.
Following the incident, the GNR mentioned, the Spanish Civil Guard intercepted seven migrants and confirmed one fatality.
The GNR also highlighted that “through the Coastal and Border Control Unit, the LPC Bojador was deployed to participate in ‘Join Operation SPAIN 2025,’ led by the Spanish Civil Guard, scheduled from February 19 to April 16, 2025, under the auspices of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex).”
This action is part of the operational coordination at the external borders of the European Union (EU), primarily aimed at border surveillance, managing irregular immigration flows, combating cross-border crime, enhancing European Coast Guard cooperation, and supporting search and rescue operations.
Since 2021, according to the statement, the Bojador patrol boat has participated in various search and rescue missions, contributing to the detection and rescue of hundreds of migrants in the Mediterranean, in collaboration with other forces, including the Spanish Civil Guard, the Italian Guardia di Finanza, and the Coast Guard.
