Three of the six defendants accused of introducing more than 400 kilos of cocaine into Lanzarote through a boat that arrived in La Santa in 2017 have admitted the facts during the trial, which began on Thursday morning in Arrecife. However, the other three defendants have defended their innocence.
Among the accused who have confessed is Roberto H.N. who, with his confession, has acknowledged being the leader of the organization and who from Lanzarote was in charge of planning operations to acquire the drug in America, as well as organizing its transport and final distribution in Lanzarote.
Andrés A.A. and Daniel Alejandro A.A. are the other two defendants who have admitted the facts. Both, according to the indictment, carried out work preparing the Florida II sailboat, in which they later traveled to America, introduced the drug, and returned to Lanzarote, where Roberto H.N. went out with a boat to meet them "at a point near the coast, probably about 140 kilometers from the island of Alegranza", for the subsequent landing of the drug in La Santa.
In addition, for the three defendants, who have been in pre-trial detention since their arrest in August 2017, the Prosecutor's Office requested a fine of 78.7 million euros. However, after their confession, they will predictably see their sentences reduced.
"I participated in running a boat aground, I didn't know what was inside"
"The facts are not true", Omar R.O. stated for his part, who, although he was arrested together with Roberto H.N. and Andrés A.A. after being surprised by the Civil Guard in the early morning of August 6, 2017 landing the drug in La Santa, has defended his innocence.
"I participated in running a boat aground, I didn't know what was inside", this defendant has assured, who has stated that he only did "a favor" to Roberto H.N., whom he has known "since childhood", but that he helped him "without knowing what he was doing".
The testimonies of the other two defendants who defend their innocence
As for Cristóbal B., who is considered to have been the skipper of the Florida II sailboat upon its arrival at the Marina Rubicón port of Playa Blanca a month before the boat departed for America, he has also denied having anything to do with the drug.
"I am called to see if I can accompany a person to Morocco to sell a boat", the defendant has stated, who has denied that he traveled to Las Palmas "to pick up the sailboat". "I was just a crew member", he added, also stating that, although he has "the sailor's title", he only has "basic knowledge" about boats. "I didn't know anything about the drug", Cristóbal B. concluded.
Finally, José Miguel L.M. has stated that he is a carpenter and that he only made some "reforms on the exterior of the deck" of the sailboat because Roberto H.M., whom he said he knew "from a prison in Tenerife", called him to work "on a friend's boat". "I didn't know about the drug nor have I participated at any time", the defendant has assured, who has also said that, when he found out about Roberto's arrest, he was scared.
"I found out through social media and news on the Internet and I was worried because I had done work on the boat. I was scared in case it splashed me without having anything to do with it and also in case I wasn't going to get paid", José Miguel L.M. pointed out, who has also stated that he never got paid for those jobs.
For these three defendants, of whom only Cristóbal B and José Miguel L.M were not sent to pre-trial detention, the Prosecutor's Office requests sentences of 14 years and six months in prison. Likewise, a fine of 78.7 million euros is also requested for each of them.
The trial has continued with the testimonies of Civil Guard agents who participated in the operation that ended with the arrest of the defendants and will continue this Friday with the statements of witnesses.
