MADRID, Spain – Spanish Army intelligence has reportedly identified 72 Moroccan military personnel operating inside Ceuta as coordinators of the mass border crossings that took place on 30 and 31 July 2026, according to classified documents published by El Español. The reports, which Defence Minister Margarita Robles has said she is not aware of, describe the individuals as a network of active-duty soldiers and intelligence agents who remained in the city after the crossings and allegedly oversaw the settlements, funded camps and monitored Spanish forces.
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According to the documentation, 22 of the identified personnel belong to Morocco’s intelligence services while the remaining 50 are active-duty military personnel infiltrated at various points across the autonomous city. The reports characterise them as centres of gravity of a structure responsible for relaying instructions, financing some camps and identifying vulnerable points in Ceuta. The 22 alleged intelligence agents are said to have coordinated operations and assessed the reaction capacity of Spanish forces, while the 50 military personnel operated on the ground through other groups. The documents reportedly include up to 50 photographs of the suspects and describe some as having conducted surveillance on Spanish military personnel, recording their movements and patrols.
The reports further allege that the individuals reside in private apartments, engage in group exercise sessions in the early morning and receive regular income from across the border. Their behaviour, including physical condition, age, clothing and routine, reportedly drew the attention of investigators in the days following the mass entry. A senior Spanish military official cited in the coverage said the suspected infiltrators contacted other groups to execute specific orders, in a structure that also required mechanisms for financing and supply.
Defence Minister Margarita Robles, speaking in Brussels, said the reports did not correspond to any information she held. She said she was not aware of it, adding that there are many speculations about what happened and that a judicial procedure is under way in which it will be clarified, while stressing that the priority was to return normality to Ceuta with maximum respect for legality. Her ministry referred further questions to the ongoing judicial investigation.
The disclosures have triggered a political confrontation. The Popular Party has announced it will demand explanations from Robles during her scheduled appearance before the Congressional Commission on Reserved Expenses on 6 October, asking whether the reports exist, who had access to them and what measures were adopted after the alleged presence was known. The party has also requested the appearance of the director of the National Intelligence Centre, a request that Moncloa has so far resisted, though Robles herself has said she wants the CNI chief to testify. Meanwhile, the Senate is set to see a PP-led investigation commission into the crisis, and the National High Court judge María Tardón, who is investigating whether the events constituted a grave attack on Spain’s territorial integrity, is expected to receive the reports as part of her inquiry.
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The revelations add to earlier findings by the National Centre for Immigration and Borders, which described Moroccan agents in uniform and civilian clothes guiding groups during the crossings, though that report cautioned that its sources could not establish responsibility for the planning. The Army intelligence reports now cited go further, identifying specific personnel who allegedly remained in Ceuta after the crossings. The Spanish Defence Ministry has not confirmed the existence of the documents, and no official verification of the reports has been provided.
