La Línea: Shadow of Narco (La Linea: La sombra del narco)

CUSTOMS SURVEILLANCE

-Can you give me more power? -Power up.

-Is it there or not? -Let's take a look.

Okay, Jesús.

If we stay in front of Salvamar, we won't see a damn thing.

THE CITY OF LA LÍNEA IS THE MAIN ENTRANCE FOR DRUGS INTO EUROPE

I like the reaction part the most. That's the beauty of this partnership.

I'm good at running and...

the adrenaline keeps me going.

You're good at driving the car where it needs to go,

so, yeah. That's it.

This is a piece of cake. We're like machines, wham bam.

POLICE CONFRONT NARCOS EVERY NIGHT

IN THE FIGHT AGAINST ILLEGAL SUBSTANCE TRAFFICKING

They're on their way out through the channel.

I'm not sure if one is the Guardias and one is the bad guys.

It's always been a hotbed for drug trafficking,

contraband, back in the day,

human trafficking, document forgery...

It's a hot spot between two continents.

-They're taking out tobacco. -Assholes.

About 15 to 20 people running along the east shore.

-Can any unit back me up out here? -Alpha 30, roger that.

Alpha 30 back up.

Okay. Over. Keep in touch.

Let's go! We're coming in!

There are tobacco boats everywhere. They're working flat out.

We're at 300 feet. We're flying low tonight, man.

We have to stay alert in this fight.

We need help from politicians, our bosses,

and everyone who can help us put a stop to this.

Did you hear that? They're moving from the border to Tonelero.

There are a few there.

-Who are those guys? -That's them!

This is a speedboat, right?

They just keep going.

They don't care. They just keep going.

Call them in!

They're leaving it.

Hold on.

-That way. -Down on the beach.

Get down!

Estrada, man, watch the engine!

We don't want to kill anyone,

but sometimes you get the idea that they don't really care.

Ask them if they need anything.

Hands behind your back. Do you hear me? Hands behind your back.

Partner, get me the cuffs!

They could have killed you with that engine, man.

Hey, cuff these guys.

The police are needed here, and I think, without the police,

I don't know what it would be like but this place would be a total mess.

You think it's okay to hit my partner with the boat?

-I didn't do that, I swear. -No? So who was it?

The truth is that the problems here have been going on for decades.

Algeciras, La Línea de la Concepción and the Campo de Gibraltar

are the connections joining two continents: Africa and Europe.

Everything comes through here,

especially the three issues that cause the most concern

in Spain and in the EU, in terms of criminal activity:

terrorism, drug trafficking and illegal immigration networks.

Almost five tons of hashish have been seized in La Línea

in a major drug operation...

...the tragic death of a local policeman in La Línea, Cádiz,

was, for many, an inevitable casualty.

Anyone who says they're not afraid is lying.

At one time or another, you're always going to be afraid.

Police!

We don't have enough resources right now

to fight against drug trafficking or against tobacco smuggling.

Local and national police and the Guardia need more support

because they are dealing with mafias, smugglers and drug lords

who are better organized, with more sophisticated strategies,

and also more lethal.

Everyone knows their place in the organization.

From the top down to the bottom. From the general to the foot soldier.

They are completely organized. I've never seen anything like it.

I've never seen that.

A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES

-Look who it is! -What's up? How are you?

-Good morning, sir. -Hello.

-It's good to see you. -Here for the usual cut,

and get the beard trimmed.

I'm not feeling sorry for myself,

but I think I am the mayor with the worst problems in Europe.

It's true that a small minority of our population...

MAYOR OF LA LÍNEA

...is involved in illegal activities, mainly drug trafficking

and tobacco smuggling.

People ask me, "Juan, how many people are involved in this?"

I can give you a list of the bars in town.

I don't have a list of the drug dealers.

-It's good to see you. -Look after yourself, Francis.

-Atleti are up there at the top. -This year, we win the League.

They are a very small minority that can't be ignored.

Most of the economic activity is legal,

but part of the money those people make comes from the drug trade obviously.

There's a geographical component.

If Morocco is twenty nautical miles away,

about thirty kilometers,

and Morocco is the world's main producer of hash,

then obviously the hash isn't going to come in through Poland.

-See you later, gentlemen. -Bye!

Let it rain!

You're going to get wet, Mayor.

-What can you do? -Do you want an umbrella?

No need, thanks.

Life is completely normal here,

but...

you're not going to go to a certain beach at 4:00 in the morning,

because you know what you're going to find.

To deny that is to deny the facts.

I don't have a bodyguard,

even though they call this place Little Medellín.

I try to be careful and avoid certain situations.

To be honest, I've never been afraid.

I won't say I have to look under my car to see if there's a bomb,

but I have to be careful in certain places.

The city's image is in tatters

and that's causing serious collateral damage

to the tourism and investment sectors.

How are you going to say, "Come visit my town,

it's 12 kilometers of virgin coastline"? Whoever comes here loves it.

The problem is convincing them to come.

RESPECT OUR DIGNITY

THE LOCAL POPULATION DEMAND INVESTMENT AND SECURITY FROM THE GOVERNMENT

People here always have the same feeling.

They feel abandoned, forgotten about, a lost cause...

How long have we been out here

complaining, asking for help? They keep telling us that soon...

La Línea de la Concepción is still one of the Spanish towns

that has been the most neglected and abandoned

by the political establishment.

Our politicians must take action...

DEAD END TOWN INVESTMENT NOW!

...so that Madrid can hear our pleas

and show them we are all willing to fight for our town,

united as one.

We need a plan that deals with the lack of education in the town.

Thirty percent of the unemployed don't have secondary education,

and half don't have primary education.

To put it plainly, they don't know their ass from their elbow.

They don't know how to hold a tray.

Have you seen any police cars?

The 092 emergency call center has closed.

I couldn't call the Chief of Police.

In the last three and a half years, we've had five Police Chiefs.

Three and a half years. There's no stability in the police force.

Why? Because there's no incentive for those people to stay here.

The government has been negligent.

There are less police, less Guardias.

How do we fix this?

There has to be an overall plan, but I repeat,

until there is a decisive plan of action from the State

and the regional government in Andalusia,

we can't fix this on our own, no matter how hard we work.

You can see a narco boat passing just meters away

from three youths paddle surfing in the area of Punta Europa.

Drug traffickers take advantage of the lack of police presence

in the Campo de Gibraltar area to do as they please.

The impunity of drug trafficking in the Campo de Gibraltar knows no limits.

Look how they're unloading the stash.

Narco boats are now part of the Cádiz coastline

and they are not afraid of the police.

According to investigators, the Castaña clan

are responsible for transporting 70% of the hashish coming into Spain

through the Strait of Gibraltar.

The Castaña clan are known to be the biggest organization

involved in hashish trafficking in Campo de Gibraltar.

Antonio Tejón, a leading member of the Castaña clan...

...has an estimated fortune of over sixty million euros,

thought to be hidden in caches.

...a very well-known clan.

The Castaña clan...

The Castaña...

They're a well-established clan...

LA LÍNEA CHIEF OF POLICE

...they've lived all their lives here. They're locals.

So, obviously,

there's no question

that they are the two characters

who make the biggest impact in our social context.

I've moved to a new house twice.

Antonio, "El Castaña," told me himself that he knew everything about me.

He let me know that he knew who I went to high school with.

It wasn't a threat as such. He just wanted me to know

that the biggest drug trafficker in the Campo de Gibraltar

knew all about me.

Antonio is practically God around here.

He has given away lots of houses.

He has a group of people who are completely loyal to him.

People love him, they see him as a regular person.

That makes you realize that this place is unlike any other...

PUBLIC SECURITY

...in that respect.

In the neighborhoods more sympathetic to the narcos

and the tobacco smugglers,

the welcome we get...

POLICE OFFICER

...is pretty hostile, to say the least.