According to an investigative report by the Centro Nacional de Inmigración y Fronteras (CENIF), Moroccan security forces systematically organized and guided the mass irregular entry of approximately 75,000 to 85,000 migrants into Ceuta during late July 2026. The 55-page document, submitted to Judge María Tardón and detailed by OKDIARIO and EL ESPAÑOL, includes 32 photographic exhibits documenting both uniformed gendarmes and plainclothes operatives directing crowds toward the El Tarajal breakwater.
Photographic Evidence of Uniformed and Plainclothes Coordination
The CENIF dossier divides Moroccan involvement into two distinct tiers of on-the-ground management. Out of the 32 photographs included in the report, 11 depict uniformed members of the Moroccan security forces actively directing individuals across the border. According to the document, these gendarmes gave explicit instructions on how to bypass physical barriers and managed the arrival of heavy-duty vehicles transporting large groups of people.
An additional 21 photographs document non-uniformed operatives whom investigators term “dynamizing agents.” According to the Spanish police analysis, these plainclothes actors were typically athletic men aged 30 to 50 with short hair, wearing neutral-colored polo shirts, long pants, caps—some featuring police logos—and closed-toe athletic shoes rather than the sandals worn by most migrants. The CENIF report states that these individuals maintained constant mobile phone communication, recorded the movements, cleared obstacles for migrants, and occasionally issued direct orders to the uniformed Moroccan forces stationed around the perimeter.
Immigrant Testimonies and Border Security Breakdown
Interviews conducted with migrants arriving in the Spanish autonomous city corroborate the findings of active state facilitation. According to the CENIF report, the migrants stated uniformly that Moroccan police forces remained entirely passive regarding the border breach. Instead of attempting to disperse the crowds, officers actively directed people to wade through the water near the El Tarajal breakwater rather than using standard entry points.
The report highlights a complete lack of resistance or attempts by Moroccan authorities to clear the border perimeter on July 30 and 31, 2026. This dynamic created an overwhelming surge that severely strained Spanish border infrastructure and led to what investigators characterize as a total inability to accurately quantify the exact number of arrivals, departures, and residents remaining in Ceuta.
Comparison With Previous Crises in 2021 and 2024
Investigators compared the July 2026 events with prior mass crossings in May 2021—which saw roughly 10,000 arrivals—and subsequent surges in August and September 2024. According to the CENIF analysis, the 2026 crisis utilized the same geographical routes around El Tarajal but displayed a markedly improved level of strategic refinement and operational efficiency.
While the report notes that lower-level tactical coordination is thoroughly documented through a nearly nine-minute video annex, investigators state that identifying the masterminds behind the strategic planning remains an ongoing challenge. The case now sits with the Audiencia Nacional as authorities attempt to trace the command structure behind one of the largest unauthorized border crossings in the region’s history.
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