During a hearing on 24 February 2026 in the Cutro shipwreck trial, an exchange of messages between officers of the Italian Finance Police (Guardia di Finanza) emerged, referring to the definition of a possible "exit strategy," while they were already aware, as of 11:20 pm on 25 February 2023, of the presence of migrants on board the caique Summer Love, which later sank off Cutro on 26 February 2023.
The reference to an exit strategy in view of the investigations surfaced from a chat between Guardia di Finanza officers following the migrant shipwreck at Steccato di Cutro on 26 February 2023. The matter was raised during the trial concerning alleged delays in the rescue operations of the Summer Love, by Carabinieri Major Nicola Cara, who led the investigation, at the 24 February hearing.
A few days after the shipwreck, on 3 March 2023, an exchange of messages took place, described as "relevant because they refer to an exit strategy", between the commander of the Taranto Aeronaval Group of the Guardia di Finanza (GAN), Nicolino Vardaro (defendant), and his deputy, Pierpaolo Atzori (not under investigation), Cara said.
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Chats to agree on a version regarding operational delays
In a voice message, Atzori told Vardaro he had spoken with Alberto Lippolis, commander of the Vibo Valentia Aeronaval Operational Unit (ROAN) (defendant), who had suggested, "as a matter of friendship," preparing a preventive defensive strategy. "He suggested I start thinking about an 'exit strategy'… a 'brainstorming,'" Atzori told Vardaro, "to be ready."
The aim, Atzori explained, was to "converge towards a common decision" before investigators began digging deeper, since "they will go and look at everything." The main issue discussed was the preparation of a version to justify the delayed departure of the patrol vessel Barbarisi from the port of Crotone (which sailed at 2:30 a.m. on 26 February).
"In the messages, Vardaro explains to Atzori that this delay could be justified due to weather conditions that had to be carefully assessed before departure and that only after a thorough evaluation was the vessel dispatched," Cara testified, adding that "Vardaro said he had instructed Commander Somma (captain of the Barbarisi, not under investigation) to carefully assess what that vessel could do."
The commander of the Taranto GAN also stated he had not immediately deployed the PV6 Barbarisi based on a "kinematic calculation that predicted the caique's arrival in territorial waters at around 3:30 a.m., thus considering it sufficient to depart one hour earlier, also in order not to overburden the crews and to minimize risks to the naval unit and its personnel."
Regarding the failure to deploy a helicopter, Vardaro reportedly cited logistical reasons: "Grottaglie airport is closed at night, the crew was not available, and, in any case, our helipad was under maintenance," he told Atzori.
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Finance Police knew it was a migrant boat
During the fourth hearing of the Cutro shipwreck trial, it also emerged that the Guardia di Finanza had been aware since 11:20 pm on 25 February 2023 of the presence of migrants on board the vessel that sank the following day, causing 94 deaths, including 35 minors, with an undetermined number of missing persons.
This was confirmed by an entry recording a communication from the National Operations Centre of the Guardia di Finanza at 11:20 p.m., which identified the Summer Love as a "vessel with migrants on board."
The information was in response to a question posed by counsel for the civil parties, Francesco Verri, during the cross-examination of Major Cara. Earlier, Cara had concluded his detailed reconstruction of the investigation into the rescue operations involving the Summer Love.
Asked to read from the operations log of the ROAN in Vibo Valentia and to clarify the origin of the message, the officer reiterated that the message issued at "11:20 pm was handwritten by operations room staff, in which the Operations Centre (CENOP) reported a sighting by Eagle 1 (a Frontex aircraft) of a vessel with migrants."
In response to further questions, the Major confirmed the consistency of this entry with a message sent shortly afterwards by Lieutenant Antonino Lopresti (defendant) to the ROAN's operational WhatsApp group, stating: "It is a vessel with migrants."
The annotation also coincided, he added, with a message at 11:33 pm sent by Lieutenant Colonel Alberto Lippolis (defendant) to another officer reading: "They are migrants." Four members of the Guardia di Finanza and two Coast Guard officers are standing trial in connection with the Cutro shipwreck.
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