The Guardia Civil arrested five people on 14 October 2026 in Vitoria-Gasteiz who, according to the Ministry of the Interior, are believed to belong to the violent Jugendgruppe 015 . The coordinated operation in the Basque capital was carried out with judicial authorisation and led by the Guardia Civil, which reports to the Ministry of the Interior .
According to the official statement, searches were carried out at two flats and a storage unit in the province of Álava. Seized material is being examined by forensic specialists; investigators initially gave no further details about the nature or extent of the finds. The authorities stress that the ongoing analysis is crucial to checking the preliminary assessments and establishing any possible involvement in offences.
The accused are charged with membership of a criminal organisation, robbery involving violence and intimidation, drug offences and unlawful possession of weapons. Nothing was known at the time of publication about possible remand in custody or conditions; these are matters for the courts to decide. The accused are presumed innocent.
According to the authorities, 015 originated in Vitoria-Gasteiz and draws on styles and symbolism resembling patterns that have Spain already been observed in groups such as Trinitarios and Blood . Investigators speak of copycat effects, but also warn against treating different phenomena and levels of organisation as if they were all the same. The individual offences alleged have not yet been independently confirmed; analysis of the evidence is ongoing.
The arrests are part of a series of recent operations against violent youth groups in Spain. Security authorities point to groups shifting between cities and copying one another, as well as to the role of social networks in arranging confrontations. The focus is primarily on incidents in public spaces that can undermine people’s sense of security in urban neighbourhoods.
The Ministry of the Interior said it would continue investigating the case with the Guardia Civil and publish the results of forensic examinations as soon as this could be done without jeopardising the investigation. Consistent reports by local media and Onda Cero also cite five arrests in the capital of Álava. Vitoria-Gasteiz is in the Basque Country in northern Spain; the case therefore clearly falls within the jurisdiction of the Spanish security authorities.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).