The Civil Guard is investigating an NGO for the pepper gas that Defensa and Revuelta distribute in Ceuta

The National Court judge in Spain has accumulated extensive documentation, reports, and declarations regarding intelligence alerts issued prior to the mass entry of approximately 80,000 migrants into the autonomous city of Ceuta. The investigation aims to determine whether the severity of the situation was accurately conveyed, if threats were properly flagged, and how far verified data regarding potential border crossings traveled through official channels. The National Intelligence Center, known as the CNI, has asserted to the magistrate that clear warnings existed before the incident and were transmitted to relevant authorities. According to the intelligence service, these communications initiated a chain of reporting up the hierarchy. Judge Tardón must now establish the extent of this information flow and why specific measures to control the entry were not implemented despite the alerts. The CNI framed the movements on the Moroccan side of the border as a result of increased migratory pressure following a Supreme Court ruling. This ruling concerned the rejection of individuals who swam to the Spanish territory. In a strategic note dated July 27, the secret services indicated that a biased interpretation of the court decision could have a highly relevant impact. The intelligence chronology shows that contacts intensified on July 28, roughly forty-eight hours before the massive crossing. On that day, Gonzalo Sanz, then head of the Cabinet for the Government Delegate in Ceuta, informed the head of the CNI delegation in the city that a communication plan had been launched in coordination with various ministries to address the crisis. Sanz reportedly told the intelligence agent that after several conversations, it appeared that awareness of the crisis had taken hold in Madrid. Intelligence officials explained to the National Court that they had committed to detecting possible calls for mass entries after the Supreme Court verdict. They obtained information about a Facebook page posting recommendations for swimming into Ceuta. Late on July 29, the agency detected an accelerated increase in social media activity related to attempts to cross into Spain. The CNI stated it monitored the situation throughout the night to clearly determine the nature and scope of the mobilization. The anticipated time for the crossing was identified as 8:00 PM on July 30, coinciding with the Throne Festival celebrations. The agency claims it communicated this information with maximum urgency to higher-ranking superiors. At 9:34 PM the previous evening, Sanz made a key call to the CNI chief in Ceuta. He noted that while the situation remained concerning, the government had reached an agreement with Rabat for the return of immigrants entering by sea, though the format of expulsion was unknown. The report submitted to the judge includes details from a conversation where the CNI agent insisted on the high number of candidates attempting to hide among the crowds of tourists filling Fnideq, formerly known as Castillejos. Sanz questioned whether the figure of 180,000 users in Facebook groups encouraging the mass crossing was exaggerated. However, the documents reveal a hypothetical scenario calculating that 10 percent of those 180,000 individuals might attempt to enter, resulting in a potential influx of up to 20,000 migrants. Separate legal actions have emerged regarding the conduct of security forces during the aftermath of the July 30 and 31 entries. Local political parties in Ceuta, including Ceuta Ya! and the MDyC, have demanded an investigation into audio recordings released on October 15. These recordings feature military personnel boasting about beatings and humiliations inflicted upon migrants. Both formations, which hold seats in the Ceuta Assembly but not in the national Congress, criticized the local government’s rhetoric describing the presence of foreigners as an invasion. The MDyC described the published information as genuinely worrying, while Ceuta Ya! argued the audios reflect a climate of hostility toward migrants that has spread across the city. These allegations followed weeks of reports detailing abuses against migrants remaining in Ceuta. Testimonies collected in September described beatings, thefts, and humiliating practices, such as forcing young men to shave their heads. Videos released later showed soldiers pursuing and striking migrants. On September 30, the Ministry of Defense stated it had sent complaints documented by Amnesty International to the Prosecutor’s Office and the Ceuta Duty Court. The ministry also ordered an internal investigation. Amnesty International had gathered twenty-two direct testimonies alleging beatings, harassment, humiliation, and theft. Further reports indicated that alleged abuses continued even after the defense ministry became aware of the initial accusations. In a separate operation on Thursday, the Civil Guard detained two members of a non-governmental organization operating in Ceuta. The investigation concerns the alleged distribution of pepper spray canisters to migrants. The operation included a search of the facilities of the humanitarian group No Name Kitchen. While the Civil Guard did not specify if the detainees belonged to No Name Kitchen, other agencies reported the arrests involved a man and a woman linked to the organization. No Name Kitchen denied in a statement that any of its members were arrested, although it confirmed its premises were searched early Thursday morning. The judicial order authorizing the search cited testimony regarding the supposed distribution of pepper spray and white weapons to migrants. The organization claimed that during the raid, present individuals were not considered under investigation or detained, a point agents allegedly confirmed verbally. No Name Kitchen described the search as violent and irregular, noting it occurred around 6:00 AM without prior notice. Agents reportedly broke down the door and restrained volunteers with zip ties without providing copies of the procedural record or a detailed list of seized items, which included mobile phones and computers. The group stated that no weapons, explosives, or pepper spray were found, asserting they had never possessed such objects. They also denied sheltering individuals with irregular administrative status due to lack of space, though they noted doing so would not be illegal. The NGO characterized the raid as part of a broader strategy of intimidation aimed at discouraging humanitarian aid in Ceuta. It pointed to a campaign of defamation over the past two months linking the group to the supply of pepper spray and explosives, accusations it previously refuted to fact-checkers. Amnesty International published a report on September 30 documenting allegations of torture and cruel treatment by Spanish armed forces, based on sixty-five interviews conducted over five days. The report included photographs and videos of physical injuries. Several courts in Ceuta are currently investigating these complaints, and the city hospital has forwarded nearly twenty injury reports to the judiciary.