Spanish Judge Summons Ceuta Officials in Investigation into July Mass Border Crossing
Spain's National Court has summoned regional leaders and ordered intelligence records following the entry of up to 80,000 migrants into Ceuta in late July.
Judicial summonses and intelligence inquiries
Spain's National Court Judge María Tardón has summoned the president of the Autonomous City of Ceuta, Juan Jesús Vivas, and former chief of staff Gonzalo Sanz to testify as witnesses. Vivas is scheduled to appear on 30 September, while Sanz and the chief of the Ceuta Local Police are set to testify on 1 October. The judicial investigation examines the border crossing on 30 and 31 July, during which between 70,000 and 80,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into the Spanish enclave. As part of the proceedings, Judge Tardón ordered police and military units to submit all risk assessments and security alerts prepared prior to the incident, along with transmission timestamps and distribution lists.
Allegations against the government delegate
The court inquiry focuses on the conduct of the central government delegate in Ceuta, Miguel Ángel Pérez Triano, who coordinates the National Police, Civil Guard, and state services in the city. Complaints submitted by Manos Limpias and Hazte Oír accuse Pérez Triano of prevarication, failure to pursue crimes, denial of assistance, and negligent homicide related to drownings between Fnideq and El Tarajal beach. Hazte Oír requested the preservation of emails and audio recordings, as well as the formal questioning of the delegate. Gonzalo Sanz resigned from his post after stating that he relayed National Intelligence Centre (CNI) warnings to Pérez Triano on 29 July, an account the delegate denies.
- Former chief of staff Gonzalo Sanz claims CNI warnings were shared with the government delegate
- Between 70,000 and 80,000 migrants cross into Ceuta from Morocco
- Prosecutor Silvia Rojas issues report supporting National Court jurisdiction
- Judge María Tardón summons witnesses and orders police and military risk reports
- Scheduled testimony of Ceuta President Juan Jesús Vivas
- Scheduled testimonies of Gonzalo Sanz and the Ceuta Local Police chief
Political profile and administrative roles
Pérez Triano, born in Ceuta in 1983, worked as an elementary teacher and joined the public teaching service in 2014. He previously taught Spanish with the Red Cross at the Temporary Immigrant Stay Centre (CETI) and directed Ceuta's Foreigners Office between 2019 and 2021. A member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) and its regional secretary general, he was appointed government delegate in February 2026 and selected as the party's candidate for the 2027 Ceuta presidential election. His legal standing in the case remains under review by Judge Tardón and National Court Chief Prosecutor Jesús Alonso.
Consolidation of regional court files
Ceuta Chief Prosecutor Silvia Rojas supported transferring all local court proceedings to the National Court to avoid duplicate inquiries. Judge María de la Luz Lozano of Ceuta's Court Number 6 agreed to remit the municipal cases, which originally examined migrant deaths during the sea crossing. The consolidated investigation covers both the organization of the mass entry, including findings in a National Immigration and Borders Centre (CENIF) report regarding Moroccan gendarmerie actions, and the adequacy of Spanish containment and rescue protocols.
Prosecutor Rojas noted that domestic administrative actions cannot be separated from the broader cross-border event.
These are not isolated or independent events, but actions that present a unity of context, time, space, and purpose.
Judge Tardón will determine whether decisions or omissions by Spanish authorities affected the safety and emergency response during the crossing.
