Overview

• A judge ordered pretrial detention for 12 of the 14 detainees after coordinated raids on homes, warehouses and boatyards.
• Guardia Civil made the arrests under Operation Nautilita across the provinces of Almería, Murcia, Sevilla and Alicante, with eight more people under investigation.
• Officers seized 15 inflatable boats of 7.5 to 8 meters with 200–425 hp engines, two hull molds, three 300 hp engines, two firearms, 133 fuel jerrycans and €68,115 in cash.
• Investigators report the network invested over €1 million in go‑fast boats and funneled proceeds through firms in France and money couriers, charging up to €7,000 per migrant.
• Europol, France’s Gendarmerie and Italy’s Carabinieri supported the probe, which began in May 2024 and remains open to trace finances and additional collaborators.