Trial with jury for the murder of two Civil Guard officers in Barbate
The case of two Civil Guard officers struck by a drug-smuggling speedboat in Barbate in February 2024 goes to the Provincial Court of Cádiz with a popular jury.
Death of two officers in Barbate goes to oral trial before the Provincial Court of Cádiz
The judicial process for the murder of David Pérez Carracero and Miguel Ángel González Gómez—the two Civil Guard officers struck by a drug-smuggling speedboat in Barbate in February 2024—enters a decisive phase. According to ABC, the judge has agreed to open oral proceedings and has notified the ruling to all parties, which closes the investigation phase and confirms that the case will be heard with a popular jury before the Provincial Court of Cádiz.
The date of the trial remains to be determined, as indicated by the Unified Association of Civil Guard Officers (AUGC), appearing as an accusatory party in the case. Within the next fifteen days the parties must appear before the Court, where the magistrate who will preside over the trial will be designated and any preliminary matters will be resolved, including those relating to evidence or possible procedural defects.
The accused and the charges brought
The accused are two Moroccan citizens: the pilot of the drug-smuggling speedboat and another individual who was on board. A jury of nine full members and two alternates, selected by lottery, will decide on their culpability; the determination of sentences will be the responsibility of the magistrate.
The pilot, held in provisional custody without bail since September 2024, is charged with two counts of completed murder—one for each officer who died—and four counts of attempted murder, corresponding to the officers who survived the impact with physical and psychological injuries. He is also attributed one count of aggravated attack against law enforcement officers and one count of criminal damage.
The second accused is charged with one count of aggravated attack for having pointed a laser pointer at the officers' faces to blind them during the pursuit prior to the impact.
A manifest disadvantage in resources
The judicial order reconstructs the facts in detail. The pilot directed the drug-smuggling speedboat at high speed and in a straight line against the Civil Guard vessel, according to the judge's account, "with the intention to kill and without the officers having any possibility of defending themselves", as the AUGC emphasises.
The disproportion in resources was evident: the official boat measured less than five metres and carried six officers, whilst the drug-smuggling speedboat reached nearly thirteen metres and had four engines with 300 horsepower. In light of these figures, the AUGC insists that "our colleagues were sent without adequate resources".
Next procedural steps
Once the magistrate is designated and preliminary matters are resolved, the court will set the date of the trial. The proceedings will include statements from the accused, witnesses and experts. Against the sentence handed down by the Provincial Court, an appeal may be lodged with the Superior Court of Justice of Andalusia and, ultimately, with the Supreme Court.
Source: ABC