Lorraine Williamson
Spanish police have arrested 19 people on suspicion of murder, torture, and human trafficking after a deadly Atlantic crossing left at least 50 migrants missing and one confirmed dead. The arrests follow a harrowing rescue of a wooden cayuco adrift off Gran Canaria on 24 August, carrying 248 survivors from Senegal.
The detainees—believed to be the boat’s organisers and crew—are accused of throwing passengers overboard, beating fellow migrants, and refusing to help those who fell into the water. Investigators fear many of the missing were deliberately killed during the 11-day voyage.
A deadly journey from Senegal
The cayuco, about 20 metres long, is thought to have departed from Senegal with roughly 300 people on board. By the time Spain’s maritime rescue vessel Guardamar Urania intercepted it near the Canary Islands, at least 50 were unaccounted for. One man died in hospital shortly after reaching shore in Arguineguín, Gran Canaria.
Survivors described a voyage marked by brutality and superstition. Moreover, witnesses told police that some passengers were beaten for protesting about the lack of food or engine failures. Others were accused of being “witches” blamed for bad weather or mechanical problems, and were allegedly thrown alive into the sea.
New immigration rules in Spain
Police investigation under Operation Tritón
The arrests were carried out by Spain’s National Police as part of Operation Tritón, a joint effort between the Las Palmas Border Brigade and the Central Unit Against Immigration Networks (UCRIF). All 19 suspects remain in pre-trial detention, facing charges of homicide, torture, assault, and facilitating illegal immigration.
Authorities continue to search for evidence to confirm the number of victims lost at sea. Investigators say the tragedy highlights the growing dangers of the Atlantic migration route from West Africa to the Canary Islands, which has seen record arrivals this year despite heightened patrols.
Growing peril on the Atlantic route
The Canary Islands have become a key gateway to Europe for migrants from Senegal, Mauritania, and beyond, with crossings often organised by criminal networks using overloaded fishing boats. The deaths in this case underscore the lethal risks faced by those attempting the journey, where overcrowding, starvation, and violence remain constant threats.
Spanish officials warn that traffickers are exploiting political instability and economic hardship in West Africa to recruit desperate passengers, making the route one of the deadliest in the world.