The stray bullet that killed a seven-year-old girl in 2013, the shootout that sent a man to the hospital in 2022, and the violent deaths of two family members on June 3 last year; plus Operation Puchi that dismantled indoor cannabis grows in Tres Mil Viviendas last year. None of these incidents prompted a police deployment in this neighborhood like the one on Wednesday, when 300 National Police officers took part. It marked a direct strike against the drug clans that have long controlled parts of the area.
Gunfire into the air between Caracoleños and Naranjeros last Saturday triggered an unprecedented deployment in this area of Polígono Sur. Government sources and judicial voices confirmed that the operation stemmed from two police actions: one investigation dating back about three months, and another that has been underway for several weeks.
What officers described as the culmination of multiple investigations centers on the criminal networks that run drug trafficking in the Andalusian capital. The day has already yielded more than ten arrests and seizures of weapons, ammunition and drugs.
Not a corner, entry or exit of Tres Mil Viviendas escaped a National Police presence since six in the morning on Wednesday. Surveillance drones patrolled the skies, mounted units moved through the streets, riot officers stood ready, and a helicopter hovered over the district. The 16 house searches targeted three specific points in the district: Los Verdes, Los Marrones and Las Vegas.
Una operation planificada desde hace tiempo
Officials cited by El Correo de Andalucía say that a marijuana robbery triggered the weekend shootout between Caracoleños and Naranjeros. In the middle of the night, shotgun and rifle fire created a high level of alarm and amplified the security deployment. Francisco Toscano, the government delegate in Seville, explained that this Wednesday’s operation had already been planned, but was intensified after the events of Saturday.
No determination has been made yet about the number and type of weapons seized or the total amount of drugs recovered. It is also unclear whether those detained belong to any of the gangs involved in the incident. The police spokesperson noted that searches recovered spent shell casings from detonated ammunition.
Neighbors face the consequences
Meanwhile the media attention and police activity aside, residents of the neighborhood have continued with their daily routines. A neighbor, groceries in hand, remarked that it was about time something was done. People spoke of years spent asking for basic services, and of the impact of the marijuana operations on their lives. El Correo de Andalucía reported these sentiments from local residents.
One resident described how a neighbor has to fill water daily so his son can take a shower. Another said that people have been trying to buy their apartment for years, but never to grow marijuana. They urged authorities to take action inside the blocks. At six in the morning this Wednesday, three hundred officers were deployed across the area to address the root causes of residents’ complaints.