Ceuta reinforces its border by land, sea, and air in anticipation of another massive crossing on August 15

Ceuta faces next week with a reinforced security deployment by land, sea, and air. The Ministry of Interior has deployed another 45 riot police officers this Friday, while the frigates 'Santa María' and 'Navarra' are already operating in the south bay given the possibility of another attempt at a massive entry from Morocco.

The date marked in the messages circulating on Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram is next August 15. The calls urge thousands of young people to travel to Castillejos, the Moroccan town located next to the border, to try to collectively access the autonomous city.

The Civil Guard has analyzed the messages and considers the existence of an active digital campaign to be proven. The report avoids presenting the crossing as a sure event and points out that its execution, its size, and the identity of those behind it remain unconfirmed.

Intelligence services are also following the call. According to information published by 'Cadena SER', the CNI considers the campaign credible and contemplates that the promoters may advance the date after having lost the element of surprise. More than ten groups related to these messages gather around 400,000 users, although that figure represents the accumulated audience of the channels and not a forecast of participants.

Reinforcement by land, sea, and air

The new unit of 45 riot police raises the number of National Police officers sent to Ceuta since last July 30 to 225. The personnel come from the intervention units of Seville, Malaga, and Madrid and are mainly intended to reinforce citizen security in the neighborhoods and the most sensitive points.

The General Commissariat of Immigration and Borders has also deployed six specialists to expedite the identification and documentation of people arriving in the city. Another six intelligence agents are working on the ground, while the Interior Ministry has allowed members of the UIP and UPR to voluntarily extend their working hours through remunerated extraordinary services.

The Civil Guard maintains three platoons of the Reserve and Security Group made up of 60 agents, along with another 160 personnel from different units in Andalusia. The deployment also includes two groups of GEAS divers to intervene in the maritime environment of Tarajal.

Aerial surveillance is supported by a helicopter and will incorporate a new group of drones this weekend. At sea, the vessels of the Ceuta service, the ship 'Duque de Ahumada' and several teams arrived from the Peninsula remain operational. The objective is to cover both the fence and the beaches, the breakwater, and the maritime routes used during the entry at the end of July.

Defense has added the frigates 'Santa María' and 'Navarra' to the deployment, which are already sailing off the south bay. Both join the Maritime Action Ship 'Rayo' and a logistics support ship docked this Thursday in the port. The naval assets support the nearly 2,000 military personnel permanently stationed in the autonomous city.

The Unified Association of Spanish Military has requested that the units have sufficient means, preparation, and capacity to intervene in support of the State Security Forces and Corps. The Association of Spanish Troops and Seamen has also demanded relief for the personnel. "Military personnel are not robots or machines; we need to rest, eat, and above all, we need personnel relief," warned its President, Marco Antonio Gómez.

Ceuta calls for anticipation and a single command

The Ceuta Government conveyed the call to state authorities as soon as it began to circulate. "After what has happened, it is worrying that there is such rumor-mongering on networks," acknowledged the Spokesperson for the local Executive, Alejandro Ramírez, who has requested more police and resources to restore normality in the neighborhoods.

Juan Vivas has defended the need to anticipate and has reiterated his proposal to create a single command capable of coordinating the central Government, the Autonomous City, the National Police, the Civil Guard, and the Armed Forces. The Ceuta President trusts that the deployment will prevent another entry like the one registered on July 30 and 31 from occurring again.

Pressure on the reception system continues as surveillance increases. The Minister of Youth and Childhood, Sira Rego, reported this Friday that 1,342 minors are registered in Ceuta and expects that the first transfers to the Peninsula can begin in the coming weeks, with priority for girls and children under 13 years old.

The Civil Guard considers that Morocco's preventive action on roads, stations, Castillejos, and the coast will be decisive. Spanish security forces, meanwhile, keep the border under surveillance in the face of a call that exists and is being disseminated, but whose real capacity to mobilize another massive crossing is not yet confirmed.