Spanish Civil Guard raid illegal wells amid drought

By JENNIFER O’MAHONY
Associated Press

MADRID (AP) — Spain’s Civil Guard says it has arrested 26 people in raids on illegal wells in the Andalusia region, as part of a widening crackdown on unauthorized water use amid a prolonged drought. The Civil Guard’s environmental crimes division identified 250 infractions by fruit farmers in the Axarquia area west of the coastal city of Malaga, and estimated the damage to public water infrastructure at 10 million euros ($10.95 million). Spain’s central government is urging increasingly strict rules on water use in Andalusia, the world’s most important region for olive oil production and a key source of fruits and vegetables for the European export market.