The National Police have concluded that a group within the thousands of migrants who entered the city coordinated the large-scale breach of Ceuta’s border at the end of July. Information from the official report, at least 72,000 people crossed into Ceuta irregularly over a 48-hour period. Investigators have dismissed earlier theories that confusion over a Supreme Court ruling or maritime border issues triggered the surge.
The findings, delivered directly to Judge María Tardón of the Audiencia Nacional, indicate that the operation was directed from within the migrant group. Police analysis of footage from border fences and city cameras, along with social media posts, revealed individuals giving signals and directing others on how to move and act once inside Spanish territory. This evidence led authorities to rule out a spontaneous mass movement.
Judge Tardón had tasked the Central Unit for Illegal Immigration Networks and Document Fraud with determining whether criminal organisations or trafficking networks were behind the incident, as the government initially suggested. Unit officials handed over the report in person at the central court. It has yet to be digitised.
Further scrutiny of video material showed Moroccan gendarmes unloading trucks filled with migrants at the border, suggesting at least tacit approval or awareness by Moroccan authorities. The police report is sharply critical of both the events in Ceuta and the initial response by Spanish institutions. It says the government’s early assessment underestimated the incident’s scale and organisation.
The report rejects the idea that the event was spontaneous, describing it in terms that echo Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s characterization of it as an “attack and violation of Spain’s territorial integrity.” It also questions whether the Interior Ministry had adequate resources and responded effectively during the impressive first hours.
Judge Tardón is seeking to establish whether a criminal group or organisation directed the operation and to identify those responsible. Police are focused on tracing the organisers, who may still be in Ceuta, elsewhere in Spain or back in Morocco. There is also suspicion that Moroccan intelligence agents may have infiltrated the migrant group, complicating identification efforts and potentially requiring the National Intelligence Centre (CNI) to get involved.
Also, the judge has asked the Guardia Civil whether any units in Ceuta received advance warnings about the incident. The Interior Ministry is reportedly concerned about the pending report’s conclusions. Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska has maintained that no intelligence service predicted the scale of the breach. Prime Minister Sánchez has since acknowledged that the CNI provided “situation reports,” but insists there was no formal alert.
The Guardia Civil has also been asked to detail the deployment of forces during the crisis and the rescue operations for migrants found in Spanish waters, including information on any fatalities. The situation in Ceuta has previously led to tense police interventions, including when officers fired warning shots to disperse a large migrant encampment. The incident was covered in detail by RUSSPAIN’s report on police actions during the Ceuta crisis.
Ceuta, a Spanish enclave on the North African coast, has long been a focal point for irregular migration from Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa. The July incident stands out for its scale and apparent degree of internal organisation. Spanish authorities continue to investigate the networks and individuals involved, while the political and security implications remain under close scrutiny. The case has intensified debate over how Spain manages its border and cooperates with Morocco, and whether its institutions are ready to respond to sudden migration surges.
