Four days before the start of Operation Paso del Estrecho, the National Police has launched, together with the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders, Frontex, the joint operation Minerva 2026, a device aimed at police management of maritime borders in the ports of Ceuta, Algeciras, and Tarifa. The operation will remain active until September 2 and is part of the measures planned to address the increase in movements of passengers and vehicles between both shores of the Strait during the summer period.
The operation includes the participation of 35 Spanish agents and personnel from another 15 member states and associated countries. Specifically, agents and experts from Germany, Austria, Belgium, Slovakia, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Romania, and Sweden are part of the device. In total, the participating countries contribute 137 specialists with profiles oriented towards different control, analysis, and intervention functions at the border.
Among the profiles integrated into Minerva 2026 are experts in detecting false documents, interviewers, canine handlers, frontline agents at border crossings, specialists in cross-border crimes, and Frontex support and coordination officers. This composition allows for covering various areas of action in entry and exit controls, from document verification to the detection of possible offenses related to irregular immigration networks, human trafficking, international terrorism, or other forms of organized crime.
The device is being developed in an operational context that is especially sensitive for the ports of the Strait, which each year concentrate a significant part of the movements associated with Operation Paso del Estrecho. Coordination between national police services and the teams deployed by Frontex aims to order the management of migratory flows, facilitate information exchange, and improve response capacity to risk situations in the external maritime border of the western Mediterranean.
The National Police has stated that one of the main objectives of this edition is to control migratory flows, along with combating cross-border crime and international terrorism. The information obtained during the operation is incorporated into police analysis tasks and can serve to guide operational investigations, especially in cases related to the illegal trafficking of persons and the activities of criminal organizations operating on maritime or land routes linked to the Strait area.
Operation Minerva has been consolidated as one of Frontex's periodic actions at the southern European border. Its deployment combines police presence at border crossings, specialized technical support, and international cooperation among security bodies. In the case of Algeciras, Tarifa, and Ceuta, its development coincides with a phase of high operational pressure on maritime connections due to the increase in passengers arriving from different points in Europe destined for North Africa.
In the previous edition, the device allowed for 2,641 police operations. As a result of these interventions, 205 arrests were made, 136 alerts for terrorism were detected, and 85 entry denials were processed. This data serves as a reference for planning the new campaign, in which authorities expect to maintain specific surveillance over travel documents, suspicious movements, and possible attempts at irregular entry into Schengen territory.
Frontex's role in this operation focuses on coordinating European resources and supporting national authorities responsible for border control. The agency participates in deploying experts, managing operational information, and coordinating with countries that contribute specialized personnel. The National Police, for its part, assumes the direction of the operation at the affected Spanish border points, in coordination with the European teams deployed.
The joint operation is part of the operational activities that Frontex carries out at the external maritime border of the western Mediterranean, an area deemed strategic due to its volume of regular traffic, geographical position, and role in migratory movements between Africa and Europe. Cooperation between European police bodies seeks to improve early risk detection and maintain controls compatible with the normal functioning of ports during the summer campaign.
Minerva 2026 will remain active until September 2, during which time deployed teams will work in the ports of Ceuta, Algeciras, and Tarifa. This operation is part of the security device planned for Operation Paso del Estrecho and adapts to the operational needs of port facilities that concentrate a high volume of international transit during these months.
🚨 The @policia coordinates with @Frontex Operation MINERVA'26 in the ports of Algeciras, Ceuta, and Tarifa
— National Police (@policia) June 10, 2026
🇪🇺 Up to 137 experts from 15 European countries
🎯 Objective➡️ combat illegal immigration and cross-border crime
👮♂️In 2025 👉 2,641 operations and 205… pic.twitter.com/uccU9WwlVl
