Police in Ceuta arrest three migrants over assault on off-duty officer as tensions rise

Assault on off-duty officer near port

At approximately 04:30 on Sunday, 23 August 2026, an off-duty Guardia Civil officer was attacked near the port of Ceuta. The confrontation occurred on Avenida Cañonero Dato in the vicinity of the Carranza petrol station. A group of at least five individuals approached the officer and demanded that he hand over money. When the officer refused to surrender his cash, the assailants began striking him with repeated punches to his face and head, followed by multiple kicks. The group then fled on foot towards the port zone. The officer immediately alerted the National Police and provided details on the assault, enabling patrol units to respond within minutes.

Foot pursuit and arrests across commercial district

National Police radio patrol units quickly deployed to the area and launched a coordinated search with direct assistance from the victim. The officer accompanied responding units to help pinpoint the perpetrators in the surrounding streets. Officers located suspects hiding along the stairways connecting the Avenida de España roundabout to the Junta de Obras del Puerto neighbourhood. When police approached, the suspects ignored commands to stop and attempted to flee on foot. Officers pursued the individuals and encountered strong physical resistance before taking three suspects into custody across separate commercial areas.

The three detained men were identified based on specific clothing and actions during the robbery attempt. One suspect wearing a blue jacket was found hiding inside residential garages and was identified as the individual who shoved and threatened the officer while demanding money. A second suspect dressed in a black jacket and light blue shirt was arrested near a supermarket and identified as the person who punched the officer in the face. The third suspect, wearing a white shirt, was apprehended beside a Decathlon store. The officer recognized him as the attacker who kicked him and issued verbal threats during the assault.

Detention status and legal charges

All three arrested suspects had entered Ceuta without authorization on 30 July 2026 as part of a mass arrival into the city. The men remain under National Police custody while facing legal proceedings. Authorities are investigating them for alleged attempted robbery with violence or intimidation, along with serious disobedience to authority for defying police orders. National Police officers in Ceuta have logged multiple formal complaints in recent weeks involving clashes among both local residents and arriving migrants, reflecting growing street tensions across the autonomous territory.

Threat and strangulation report in Hadú

The incident follows a separate complaint filed with the National Police by a 23-year-old migrant identified as Mohammed. Mohammed, who entered Ceuta by swimming to the coast, reported that he had faced recurring hostility after socialising with local Spanish neighbours in the Hadú district. Another migrant had previously reprimanded him for sitting with local residents and repeatedly crossed his path in public. The harassment escalated during the early morning when the aggressor approached Mohammed to ask for a cigarette, shoved him, and attempted to strangle him with a T-shirt wrapped around his neck. The attacker also issued death threats before fleeing, adding to the violent incidents reported across the enclave.