Agents of the Civil Guard have dismantled a criminal organization led by a businessman from Seville and another from Puerto that laundered drug trafficking money through beach bars in Puerto Sherry. During the searches, 1.8 million euros in cash, ten high-end vehicles, and ten properties were seized.
The Civil Guard has delivered the "biggest blow to money laundering from drug trafficking in Andalusia this year" by dismantling a network that operated from Seville and Cádiz. The organization, allegedly led by Seville's Mario García and Puerto's Pascual Llopis, used beach bars in Puerto Sherry as a front to hide the profits from drug sales. Both businessmen have been in provisional detention since July 3, along with nine other arrested individuals.
The operation, described as "ultrasecret" by sources from the investigation, employed a system similar to that used in the search for the children Ruth and José Bretón in Córdoba, but adapted for metal detection. The agents used special machinery brought from Madrid, such as micro-cameras and thermal scanners, as well as trained dogs to locate money. Once the dogs indicated a spot, the investigators dismantled sockets, chipped away at walls or ceilings to access the hiding places.
A total of 15 searches have been carried out at various locations in the provinces of Seville and Cádiz. The result has been the seizure of 1.8 million euros in cash, ten high-end vehicles, ten properties, and the freezing of around twenty bank accounts. Approximately 100 personnel from various units participated in the operation, including the EDUE and EDOA of the Seville Judicial Police, USECIC, GRS, GAR, the Canine Group, and the Operational Support Group GAO.
The investigation began in August 2025, when agents were tracking a "high-value" drug trafficker with international connections. It was then that they discovered a business structure created to launder money through nightlife venues, restaurants, real estate companies, and event organizing firms. Among the establishments investigated are the beach bars Puerto Sherry Margarita, Babú, and Banana Beach, as well as a possible link to the Puro Latino festival.
According to the Civil Guard, these activities constituted the "perfect scenario" for laundering, as they allowed for a high cash turnover and made tracking the money difficult. The organization, consisting of eleven individuals, is also being investigated for its connection to other crimes. The 5th Court of El Puerto de Santa María has coordinated the exploitation phase of the operation.
For the residents of the province of Seville, this action represents another step in the fight against drug trafficking in the region, where money laundering is one of the main funding sources for mafias. The Civil Guard has highlighted the complexity of the operation, which has managed to dismantle a network that operated in a sophisticated manner, hiding money in unsuspected places such as walls, ceilings, and floors.
The investigation remains open, and further arrests are not ruled out. The detainees have been brought before the judiciary and remain in provisional detention while the full extent of their activities is clarified.
You may also like
