Spanish police have detained seven crew members of a crowded migrant boat that arrived in the Canary Islands from Senegal in December. The Civil Guard reported the arrests on Wednesday, in connection with the alleged murder of eight passengers, among them a toddler.
The vessel docked at La Restinga port on the island of El Hierro on December 28 with 224 individuals on board. Some passengers required immediate medical attention for severe injuries, believed to have occurred during a violent altercation during the week-long journey, as per police statements.
Survivors informed authorities that the crew members were responsible for the deaths of eight individuals on board. An investigation revealed that the crew deliberately targeted victims of different nationalities.
The victims included a 14-month-old boy from Gambia and a father and son from Guinea, aged 50 and 18. Details regarding the nationality of the crew were not disclosed by Spanish officials.
All seven suspects have been remanded in custody while further inquiries are conducted, according to the police.
In a separate incident in 2024, authorities arrested another group of boat crew members that had allegedly caused the death of four passengers during a similar voyage to El Hierro on November 3.
The Canaries have been a focal point for irregular migration, especially from Mali, Senegal, and Morocco, with perilous boat journeys often overseen by human trafficking groups. Last year, a record 46,843 individuals arrived in the archipelago, constituting 73% of illegal migration into Spain, according to data from the interior ministry.