At Cala de los Dentoles in the Parque Regional de Calblanque at Cartagena a speedboat carrying around 50 people was stopped on the morning of Wednesday, 26 August 2026. According to the Delegación del Gobierno in the region Murcia intervened Guardia Civil at around 7:36 am, after the 112 emergency service reported the landing. The authorities described it as an irregular entry. Initial information about the people’s origins, ages and health was only available in summary form.
The incident follows several events within a week along the coast of Cartagena. On 22/23 August, according to the authorities, another lancha arrived at Cala de los Dentoles carrying 49 people, including nine minors. On 19 August, at Cala del Barco, in Cabo Tiñoso, a speedboat brought 62 people ashore; 15 minors were registered. These figures are based on statements from the Delegación del Gobierno and consistent local reports.
The president of the Region of Murcia, Fernando López Miras, condemned the latest incident on the X platform as “inadmisible” and accused Spain’s central government of “inactivity”. He announced that he would convene the Consejo de Gobierno on Thursday, 27 August, in Cartagena to discuss additional coastal protection and surveillance measures. The Delegación del Gobierno stressed that the Guardia Civil was monitoring the boats’ movements and initiating the usual identification and verification procedures. No specific decisions on additional personnel or equipment had been made by the time of publication.
The Region of Murcia has seen repeated arrivals of speedboats at hard-to-reach coves for weeks. Security services point to flexible routes and short approach distances, which make rapid landings possible. Politically, the regional government’s call for more maritime resources is countered by the state representative’s assertion that existing forces are continuously coordinating and handling the operations. Statements by government bodies and politicians are identified as such; independent confirmation of details such as the exact number of people or their nationalities is still lacking.
What is clear is that Wednesday morning’s renewed operation adds to the immediate pressure for action on the coast of Cartagena. The scope of the decisions announced by the Consejo de Gobierno, and whether Madrid will provide additional capacity, remain unclear. Further developments will be announced by the regional government and the Delegación del Gobierno.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).