Else Beekman
An American billionaire with deep ties to pro-Palestinian activism is being held in custody on Ibiza after Spanish police arrested him on Friday at the request of the United States government. James Cox “Fergie” Chambers Jr., 39, was stopped in his car alongside family members when officers surrounded the vehicle, according to relatives who spoke to Spanish news agency EFE. A judge on the island has since denied him bail while extradition proceedings continue.
Who is Fergie Chambers?
Chambers is heir to Cox Enterprises, the Atlanta-based media, automotive and telecommunications empire founded by his great-great-grandfather James M. Cox in 1898. The group, which owns Cox Communications, Cox Automotive, Autotrader, Kelley Blue Book and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, brought in more than $23 billion in revenue in 2025 and remains one of America’s largest privately held companies.
In 2023, Chambers sold his roughly 17% family stake — reportedly worth around $250 million — and publicly severed ties with his relatives. He has said the move was a protest against the family’s backing of the controversial “Cop City” police training facility in Atlanta, which drew fierce opposition from local activists.
Where do Americans rank among foreign residents in Spain?
Since then, he has poured much of that fortune into left-wing and humanitarian causes. He has described himself as a communist, founded a grant-making initiative known as the Babochki Collective, and has funnelled money towards legal defence funds for activists in the US and UK, as well as humanitarian relief in Gaza. Reports suggest he has donated more than £1 million to projects supporting people affected by the war. His political activism reportedly intensified after the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, and he has also previously taken part in Black Lives Matter protests in Ferguson, Missouri, and demonstrations against the Dakota Access Pipeline.
What is he accused of?
Neither the Spanish authorities nor the US Department of Justice have formally confirmed the charges against Chambers, which several outlets like ElDiario say is consistent with cases tied to national security investigations that remain under seal. However, a sealed indictment reportedly reviewed by independent outlet The Grayzone accuses him of international money laundering carried out with the intent of providing material support to a foreign terrorist organisation. If extradited and convicted, he could face up to 30 years in prison.
According to people close to the case, the underlying allegation centres on money Chambers transferred from the US to Tunisia, where he lived for a period after leaving his family’s business and where he sponsored local ventures, including the football club Club Africain — the reigning champions of Tunisian football. His relatives insist the accusation of financing Palestinian resistance groups is fabricated and rests solely on those transfers.
Family and supporters call it political persecution
In a statement released through EFE, the Chambers family described the case as an act of political persecution driven by the Trump administration because of Fergie’s support for the Palestinian cause. His partner, actress Stella Schnabel, said he was being targeted for using his wealth to help people affected by the war in Gaza rather than to profit from conflict. Furthermore she argued he should be with his family continuing his humanitarian work instead of facing what she called effective life imprisonment in the US.
Supporters and commentators sympathetic to the Palestinian solidarity movement, including Progressive International’s Pawel Wargan, have gone further. They see the case as a troubling precedent by testing whether the US can pursue activists who never set foot on American soil for their political activity after leaving the country. Several pro-Palestinian outlets say that, if extradited, Chambers would reportedly be the first person handed over by Spain to the US specifically in connection with support for the Palestinian cause.
A politically charged backdrop
The arrest comes at a moment of heightened tension between Washington and Madrid. The Trump administration has repeatedly criticised Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez over his outspoken condemnation of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Also his refusal to allow the US to use Spanish territory in connection with operations against Iran faced criticism. Some commentators have linked the timing of the arrest to this broader diplomatic friction, though Spanish and US authorities have not commented publicly on any connection.
What happens next
Chambers remains in pre-trial detention in Ibiza while the case proceeds through Spain’s Audiencia Nacional, the national court that handles international extradition requests. A hearing to review his situation is scheduled for Thursday, 16 July. His family has called on lawyers, politicians and civil society groups to demonstrate against his extradition that day in the Balearic Islands, Madrid and Brussels.
Whatever the outcome, the case is likely to be closely watched well beyond Spain. Both by supporters of the Palestinian solidarity movement and by observers of the increasingly tense relationship between the Trump administration and left-leaning European governments.
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