Supreme Court closes four Ceuta complaints; inquiry continues

On 4 November 2026, Spain’s Supreme Court closed four complaints about the mass entry into Ceuta in July. The judges said the papers did not show what each named official had done.

Vox filed one criminal complaint. Manos Limpias and two private people filed three more. The papers named Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and the whole Council of Ministers. They focused on the ministers for Interior, Defence and Health.

The groups claimed that officials had broken rules and failed in their public duties. They also named other possible crimes. The court did not rule on whether those claims were true.

Why the court closed the complaints

The papers used alerts, messages and news about reports from Spain’s intelligence service. The people who filed them said these showed weak border protection.

Yet the judges said the papers did not set out each official’s role. They did not show who knew what, which choices each person made, or which tools were at hand. The court said a complaint must link each named person to a clear act or failure.

Because that link was missing, the court found too little detail to start a case now. The ruling closes only these four complaints. It does not say that no crime took place or that no one may be at fault. It is not an acquittal.

A separate inquiry stays open

The July events are still under review at the Audiencia Nacional. Judge María Tardón is leading that separate case. It is looking at whether Moroccan officials may have backed the crossing. It is also asking whether Spanish officials missed warnings that could have stopped it.

Reports say tens of thousands of people crossed at several points in late July. The Audiencia Nacional is seeking who had key facts and what steps they took. It is also looking at what means were open to them.

If the inquiry finds clear evidence against an official with special court status, the judge must report to the Supreme Court. The public prosecutor must give a view first. The Supreme Court would then decide if it can hear the case and whether to start it.

Source: Spain’s Supreme Court, El Mundo, elDiario.es and El Confidencial.