Four individuals from Venezuela are currently being interrogated in a judicial hearing at the criminal instruction court in Ponta Delgada, São Miguel, Azores, as confirmed by the PJ.
In a statement released today, the PJ reported that the ‘El Dorado’ operation occurred in recent days, resulting in the interception of a vessel and illegal drugs in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
The semisubmersible was intended to be used “by a transnational criminal organization,” according to the PJ’s statement about the operation, which was initiated based on information shared at the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre – Narcotics (MAOC-N). The operation also involved participation from the UK’s National Crime Agency, the American Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Joint Interagency Task Force South, both of the United States.
“On the vessel, intercepted in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, were four crew members along with narcotics, destined for various European countries. The investigation, led by the PJ’s National Unit for Combating Narcotics Trafficking, is ongoing in cooperation with authorities from other countries,” reads the PJ statement, which scheduled a press conference about the operation for Tuesday morning.
