Declassified CNI files show Spain and Morocco received advance warnings of Ceuta border crossing

Declassification of intelligence files

The Spanish government declassified 40 official intelligence documents detailing the advance alerts that preceded the mass border crossing into Ceuta between 30 July and 31 July. Following a decision by the Council of Ministers, the executive published the Centro Nacional de Inteligencia (CNI) records covering internal and cross-border communications exchanged from 1 July to 1 August. The files document how intelligence services tracked digital mobilization efforts before more than 80,000 people entered the autonomous enclave, with the majority entering by swimming around coastal breakwaters. Spanish executive officials noted that none of the 40 published documents compromised national security. The disclosures provide concrete evidence that operational units possessed detailed tactical warnings before the arrivals occurred.

Early warnings across domestic agencies

The CNI compiled its first strategic note on 27 July, submitting it directly to the Prime Minister's office under Pedro Sánchez to report heightened migratory pressure facing Ceuta and Melilla. That initial report connected planned movements to a 29 June Supreme Court decision that prohibited summary pushbacks for migrants arriving in Spanish territory by sea. On 29 July, the intelligence agency issued a tactical alert through an early warning channel to three domestic security bodies: the Guardia Civil's Special Central Unit 3 (UCE-3), the National Police's intelligence unit at CENIF, and the Government Delegation in Ceuta. Intelligence officers in Ceuta also sent direct messaging alerts to local delegates and border commanders, identifying online channels coordinating simultaneous land and sea incursions scheduled for 20:00 the following evening. Local government representatives in Ceuta had previously denied receiving advance tactical warnings about the impending influx.

There is a call on social media for an assault by fence and sea tomorrow at 20:00.

Intelligence exchanges with Moroccan authorities

Beyond domestic distribution, the CNI sent an urgent intelligence bulletin on 29 July directly to Moroccan security services to request operational assistance. The notices were delivered to Morocco's foreign intelligence and counterespionage agency, the DGED, as well as the domestic intelligence body, the DGST. Spanish agents identified three social media networks sharing tactical instructions, routes to avoid rapid deportation, and testimonials from prior arrivals, including two Facebook groups with 180,000 combined followers. The declassified records further show reciprocal communications, as Moroccan authorities alerted the CNI to an online network containing over 22,000 people preparing to cross during Throne Day celebrations in nearby Tetouan. Internal chat logs cited by Moroccan officials indicated that organizers planned to exploit reduced border vigilance during the national holiday.

There are two different groups with a total of 180,000 followers. So you get an idea of the reach of the dissemination.

Bilateral protocols and border operations

Institutional coordination between Madrid and Rabat is formally governed by the 2012 Cross-Border Police Cooperation Agreement, which maintains joint contact centers in Algeciras and Tangier. That bilateral architecture was expanded under a 2019 security agreement that entered into force on 30 April 2022, facilitating direct exchanges between Spanish police forces, the Royal Moroccan Gendarmerie, and Moroccan internal security personnel known colloquially as mkhaznis. Despite these formal channels and mutual advance notices, Moroccan forces did not reinforce border perimeters, allowing thousands to reach the Tarajal breakwater unhindered on 30 and 31 July. Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares had previously characterized Moroccan cooperation during the crisis as essential, while the released files demonstrate that authorities on both sides of the border held detailed prior intelligence on the mobilization.