A member of Portugal’s National Republican Guard (GNR), Corporal Pedro Silva, aged 50, was killed and three others injured on Monday night after a collision between a GNR patrol vessel and a civilian speedboat on the River Guadiana, a source from the civil protection authority told Lusa news agency.
All the victims were GNR officers, according to the Regional Command for Emergency and Civil Protection in the Algarve. Alongside the fatality, one officer suffered a broken arm, while two others sustained minor injuries.
“Last night, our system detected a high-speed vessel navigating the Guadiana River, and we immediately dispatched a maritime patrol to locate and intercept it. Unfortunately, the suspect vessel collided with ours,” Lieutenant Colonel Carlos Canatário told reporters.
A cross-border manhunt is now under way on both sides of the Guadiana, in Alcoutim and across the river in Spain, as Portuguese and Spanish authorities search for those on board the speedboat, which is believed to be linked to drug trafficking, according to a GNR source.
“Given the characteristics of the high-speed vessel, it is presumed to be connected to drug trafficking,” the same source said.
Following the collision, the speedboat was found ablaze roughly two miles (around four kilometres) from the crash site, off the coast of Alcoutim in the Faro district. The occupants had fled, authorities said.
The GNR confirmed that a patrol from its Coastal Control Unit in Olhão had been dispatched after the vessel was detected on the river. When officers attempted to approach the craft, it rammed their boat.
In a statement, the GNR said operations are continuing along the Guadiana and its banks to determine the circumstances of the incident, collect evidence, and locate the suspects. The efforts involve the Maritime Police, the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection, and Spain’s Guardia Civil. The investigation is being led by Portugal’s Judicial Police.
The GNR has also put in place psychological support for the officers involved and their families.
In a statement published on the official website of the Presidency, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa expressed his sorrow over the death of Corporal Pedro Silva.
“The President of the Republic expresses his deep regret for the death in the line of duty of Corporal Pedro Manata e Silva, of the Coastal and Border Control Unit of the National Republican Guard, who was the victim of criminals last night on the River Guadiana while upholding the law and serving society,” the note read.
President Rebelo de Sousa personally conveyed his “heartfelt condolences” to Silva’s wife, children, and family, as well as to his colleagues and friends within the GNR, describing it as “a particularly difficult moment” for the force.
He also confirmed that he is monitoring the condition of the three injured officers, extending his “solidarity and support” and wishing them a swift recovery.
Writing on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro also expressed his “profound sorrow” at the officer’s death and vowed that the government would do “everything possible to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.”
On Tuesday, President Rebelo de Sousa also promulgated a new decree regulating the use of high-speed boats to combat drug trafficking, just hours after the fatal collision that claimed the GNR officer’s life.
“The President of the Republic has promulgated the decree from the Assembly of the Republic authorising the Government to establish the legal framework for high-speed vessels and to define the corresponding penalties,” the Presidency’s website announced.
