Briefing
The judge of the Audiencia Nacional, María Tardón, has given the Policía Nacional an «unavoidable» deadline of three days, starting on 16 October 2026, to submit all alerts, reports, service instructions, emails and other operational documents produced between 20 July and 7 August 2026 in connection with the entry events in Ceuta . The order expressly covers warnings sent before the particularly busy days of 30 and 31 July 2026.
The order requires not only copies of the alerts’ contents, but also a full reconstruction of the communication chains: recipients, with dates and times; transmission methods used; and documented responses or countermeasures. The judge also asked the police to search their internal databases and, where appropriate, international information systems for relevant entries.
Reports from several authorities had already been submitted to the Audiencia Nacional in September, including findings from the Guardia Civil and a written submission from the Centro Nacional de Inteligencia (CNI). According to security sources and intelligence documents before the court, there were indications of an «abnormal» situation at the border in the days before the mass influx. The documents also discuss a “passive” response by Moroccan authorities, which the CNI considers may have contributed to the subsequent «Desbordamiento». Investigators are now cross-checking these accounts.
The order is part of a broader investigation in which the Audiencia Nacional is reviewing audiovisual recordings, obtaining files from various authorities and preparing witness interviews. Those called to give evidence include Juan Jesús Vivas, President of the Autonomous City of Ceuta; officials from the Delegación del Gobierno will also be involved.
By setting the deadline, the court aims to establish whether warnings were passed on promptly and in full, and whether the operational measures taken were commensurate with the known risks. The investigating judge will decide on any potential liability on the basis of the files submitted and the witness statements already on record; no predictions are being made about the outcome of the proceedings.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).