Officials Have Stuck to a Single Narrative: Criminal Gangs Exploited a Supreme Court Ruling That Bars Summary Returns of Irregular Border

Officials have stuck to a single narrative: criminal gangs exploited a Supreme Court ruling that bars summary returns of irregular border crossers. But questions linger over whether intelligence services warned of the mass movement and what role Morocco played. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said no report flagged the coming surge, a claim echoed by government spokeswoman Elma Saiz, who dodged when asked if intelligence had failed.

Defense Minister Margarita Robles, whose department oversees the CNI intelligence agency, declined to say whether it had alerted authorities, praising intelligence work as exceptional and refusing to join any dispute. She blamed the mafias who organized and deceived people. Meanwhile, the government has dismissed a National Security Department official who on Friday published Interior Ministry figures on arrivals before the government released them, then deleted the data.

Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares first linked the crisis to the court ruling Thursday evening, and Sánchez expanded on that Friday, citing gangs exploiting a legal loophole. No one in the government has addressed other potential failures, from intelligence gaps to Morocco's role, though Robles on Monday asked Rabat to investigate fully. The government has avoided blaming Morocco, leading to internal friction over intelligence services. Interior put the CNI in question Saturday, and the government has yet to name any responsible party beyond the gangs.