The Guardia Civil arrested at least twelve people on suspicion of growing and distributing marijuana in Vícar and El Ejido.[1] Five of the detained were arrested in El Ejido and the rest were linked to the searches in Vícar.[1] The operation began before dawn on Wednesday 4 November 2026 and ran through the morning, with dozens of officers deployed at points across El Ejido and Vícar.[1] Officers carried out up to ten entries and house searches in El Ejido and Vícar, several of them in Barrio Archilla in Vícar.[1]

The searches targeted homes used for growing and trafficking drugs, and officers seized marijuana and various amounts of cash.[1] La Voz de Almería reported that the plants taken formed part of an indoor growing network in duplex homes in Barrio Archilla.[2] Officers also seized firearms with ammunition ready for use and several thousand euros in cash, and the detainees were all Spanish nationals, according to La Voz de Almería.[2]

The raid was carried out by Guardia Civil judicial police with the GAR, its rapid-action unit for high-risk interventions, and the USECIC, the provincial command’s public-security reserve unit.[1] Vícar’s Local Police sealed off Barrio Archilla to secure the operation, and the town council said it was in permanent contact with the Guardia Civil.[1] The case file drawn up during the searches, carried out with judicial staff present, went to the competent court, which must decide on the detainees’ situation while the investigation establishes the structure’s reach.[1]