Spain's National Police has concluded that the mass entry of migrants into Ceuta on July 30 and 31 was a coordinated operation led by Moroccan security forces, not a spontaneous event. Sent to National Court judge María Tardón and the prosecutor's office, the document asserts that migration served as a formal cover for a broader political maneuver, with Moroccan agents in uniform and plainclothes directing the flow of people across the border.
The report says the vast majority of the 72,000 migrants who crossed into Ceuta returned to Morocco within hours, undermining the idea that the incident was driven by genuine migration intent. Drawing on images and intelligence from the Centro Nacional de Inmigración y Fronteras (CENIF), the police analysis describes how Moroccan gendarmes and plainclothes operatives guided groups to specific crossing points, including the El Tarajal breakwater. Some were seen instructing uniformed officers. The report says they maintained control of the operation on the ground.
The report describes several waves of migrants with distinct profiles. Early on July 30, young Moroccan men equipped with wetsuits and flotation devices arrived first. Later, families, including women and children, crossed, mostly Moroccan, with some sub-Saharan Africans among them. Many had no swimming gear. A third wave, again dominated by young men, followed overnight. The report says the sequence was designed to overwhelm Spanish border management: first with the most prepared individuals, then with more vulnerable groups once the system was saturated.
Spanish authorities had issued a high-risk alert for coordinated illegal entries by sea and over the fence the day before the incident. The CENIF report says Moroccan forces fully controlled a second attempted mass entry planned for August 15, unlike the July events. After the July crossings, Moroccan officials publicly reiterated their territorial claims over Ceuta and Melilla, giving the crisis a political dimension.
The police document also suggests the operation had counter-intelligence effects, exposing weaknesses in Spain's intelligence services, particularly the CNI, in detecting the planned incursion. Legal sources cited in EL ESPAÑOL said this assessment challenges the Spanish government's previous approach of cooperation with Morocco and provides grounds for further judicial investigation.
Judge Tardón, who was on duty during the incident, requested detailed reports from both the National Police and the Civil Guard to determine whether the events could constitute a crime against state independence, a matter under the National Court's jurisdiction. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez initially described the episode as an attack on Spain's territorial integrity.
Similar tensions at the Ceuta border have previously led to public protests and calls for stricter measures, as reported in coverage of local demonstrations demanding migrant expulsions.
Ceuta and Melilla, Spain's enclaves on the North African coast, have long been focal points in migration and diplomatic disputes between Spain and Morocco. The July 2026 incident highlights the challenges of border management and the geopolitical stakes surrounding migration and security in the region. The ongoing investigation may influence future Spanish policy on border security and bilateral relations with Morocco.
