In Madrid, Spanish police have apprehended three individuals in connection to the tragic deaths of five migrants who were intentionally forced off a speedboat last November near a beach in Cadiz, located in southern Spain, as announced by the Interior Ministry on Monday.
The two men and one woman taken into custody in the Algeciras area, approximately 70 km (44 miles) southeast of Cadiz, stand accused of compelling the migrants, many of whom could not swim, to leap into the turbulent waters at knifepoint despite the strong currents.
The trio is also suspected of being part of a criminal organization, committing crimes against the rights of foreign nationals, causing injuries, and engaging in smuggling activities.
Images circulated on social media back in November depicted a black inflatable speedboat navigating rough tides off the shore, with individuals on board pushing others overboard.
Following the discovery of the boat, law enforcement officers made the arrests and revealed that there were at least 37 migrants onboard, each having paid between 3,000 euros and 12,000 euros ($3,270-$13,075) for the voyage from Kenitra in Morocco to Cadiz.
Despite its proximity to Morocco, the Cadiz region is not a common destination for migrants due to the treacherous conditions of the Atlantic coastline and the surveillance in the vicinity of the nearby Strait of Gibraltar.
Data from the interior ministry shows a fourfold increase in the number of migrants arriving in Spain by boat during the first two months of this year, reaching 13,485 compared to the same period in the previous year.
According to the rights group Walking Borders, in 2023, a total of 6,618 individuals lost their lives during perilous sea journeys in an attempt to reach Spain.
($1 = 0.9178 euros)
(Reporting by Emma Pinedo, editing by Andrei Khalip and Bernadette Baum)
