Unidad Especial de Intervención

Unidad Especial de Intervención

Coat of Arms
Active 1978 -
Country Spain
Branch Gendarmerie
Type Special Forces
Role Hostage crisis, Counter-terrorism
Part of Guardia Civil
Motto Celeritas et Subtilitas Patrio
Speed and Precision for the Fatherland
Insignia
Service Badge
Graduate Course Badge
Patch

The Unidad Especial de Intervención (UEI) (English: Special Intervention Unit) is the elite counter-terrorism and special operations unit of Spain's Guardia Civil. Created in 1978[1] to respond to high risk situations, including those involving hostages,[2] its motto is Celeritas et Subtilitas Patrio.

The exact scope of UEI operations and total number of personnel are not published. In 2008, on the occasion of the Unit's 30th anniversary, its commanding officer revealed that the UEI had until then participated in 375 operations, in which 563 hostages had been freed and 640 people arrested, of whom 141 belonged to terrorist groups. These operations included 11 high-sea missions against drug-trafficking. He also revealed that due to the demanding selection process, of the 26 guardias civiles that had applied to join the Unit that year, only four had been admitted.[1] The Unit has also intervened in 18 prison riots involving hostages.[2]

Together with Germany's GSG9, Sweden's NI, Denmark's AKS, the Netherlands' DSI, Belgium's DSU, France's GIGN and Ireland's Garda ERU, among others, the UEI is one of the special units that operate as part of the European Union-sponsored ATLAS Network.[3]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Unidad Especial de Intervención.

References

  1. 1 2 (Spanish) "Los héroes anónimos de la Guardia Civil" El Mundo. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
  2. 1 2 (Spanish) "La Unidad Especial de Intervención de la Guardia Civil perfecciona las técnicas antiterroristas en ámbito naval" Spain's Ministry of the Interior. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  3. ↑ (Spanish) "La elite de la Guardia Civil se perfecciona en antiterrorismo naval" El Mundo. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
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