Spanish court has ordered the interception of two US boats

A Spanish court has ordered the interception of two US boats should they leave Gibraltar, amid a row over treasure from a shipwreck. A judge in Cadiz instructed police to capture the ships if they entered Spanish waters, Spanish media said. Odyssey Marine Exploration, which owns the ships, recently said it had found $500m (£253m) in coins from a wreck somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean. Spain has launched legal action amid rumors it was found off Spain.

The two ships, Odyssey Explorer and Ocean Alert, belonging to the Florida-based firm, are berthed in the British overseas territory. The salvaged booty has already been flown back to the US from Gibraltar. Spain has launched legal action over the wreck, which has been described, speculatively, as a 17th Century vessel found off the coast of England. However, Spain reacted to rumors that it was found off its waters by instructing lawyers to recover any "property of the Kingdom of Spain recovered from sunken ships". Spanish media have reported that Odyssey Marine Exploration vessels had been seen with flags denoting they were undertaking marine research in Spanish waters in recent months. Odyssey's co-founder Greg Stemm has denied any wrongdoing.