Spanish police detain at least nine members of far-right group Núcleo Nacional

The operation

Spanish police launched an operation on Friday, 6 November, against the far-right group Núcleo Nacional, making arrests and carrying out searches in several provinces. Europa Press, citing case sources, reports at least nine people detained, while elDiario.es, citing sources close to the investigation, reports about ten members arrested. The operation is coordinated by the Comisaría General de Información (CGI) of the National Police, which receives support from provincial Information brigades. The court in Gijón has declared the proceedings secret, and elDiario.es reports that further arrests are not ruled out.

Origin in Gijón

The investigation begins with events in Gijón, the Asturian city where a court ordered the probe. ABC reports that the events under investigation date to February 2026, when members of the group held a mobilisation in front of the Colegio La Inmaculada. The atmosphere was tense because of what attendees shouted, but the protest did not turn into baton charges or damage to property, according to the same outlet. Several students later said they had been attacked by members of Núcleo Nacional, prompting the Gijón provincial Information brigade to open an investigation on judicial order. ABC adds that the political fallout was mainly institutional, and that the Asturian government demanded tough measures against the group.

Charges and searches

La Razón reports that the investigation covers hate crimes and unlawful association, and that the provincial Information group in Gijón was the first to look into the events. El País says the searches and arrests take place across several provinces, including the group's central headquarters in Madrid. ABC reports that searches of homes belonging to the group's leaders have produced several arrests. Europa Press notes that the group already faces several earlier investigations for alleged hate crimes and public disorder, linked to rallies and clashes in Madrid and Seville.

Wider context

Europa Press links the group's protests to the social unrest after the Ceuta crisis, when thousands of migrants entered the city in late July, and says the group called several demonstrations to take advantage of that discontent. Europa Press and El Confidencial both describe the group as neo-Nazi. El Confidencial reports that the group had been gaining presence and members, and was preparing to celebrate its anniversary over the weekend of 7 and 8 November.

Open questions

The figures are still provisional, with at least nine detentions in one report and about ten in another, both dated Friday, 6 November. Neither source gives the number of people formally charged. The court has kept the proceedings secret, and elDiario.es reports that more detentions are not ruled out. The Asturian government's demand for tough measures against the group is the political backdrop to the operation.