Bodies Found Bound in Mediterranean Sea Spark Spanish Homicide Investigation

A Guardia Civil boat, on July 11, 2024 in Palma de Mallorca, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain. / Credit: Isaac Buj/Europa Press

Spanish authorities have launched a homicide investigation after multiple corpses with their hands and feet bound were discovered in the Mediterranean Sea, raising suspicions of a violent migrant smuggling incident.

According to officials, at least five bodies have been recovered by Civil Guard patrol boats since mid-May, all found floating off the Balearic Islands with their limbs tied. Law enforcement believes the victims may have been migrants from North Africa, possibly thrown into the sea by traffickers during an illegal crossing.

Investigators suspect the individuals may have been bound and dumped overboard following a dispute with their smugglers. A Civil Guard spokesperson confirmed that the investigation is focused on determining the identities of the deceased and the exact circumstances surrounding their deaths.

“This is the cruelest side of irregular migration,” said Marga Prohens, president of the Balearic Islands, condemning the apparent brutality behind the recent discoveries.

At least 5 bodies with shackled hands and feet have been spotted floating in the Balearic Sea

While most irregular migration into Spain is directed through the Canary Islands via the Atlantic Ocean, hundreds of migrants each year attempt the dangerous Mediterranean crossing from North Africa to the Balearic archipelago. Authorities say 31 bodies have been found in the waters and along the beaches of the Balearic Islands between January and June 2025 alone.

The broader context of migrant deaths across migration routes remains grim. In 2023, the International Organization for Migration reported 8,542 migrant fatalities worldwide, with 37% of those deaths occurring in the Mediterranean.

Amid the crisis, rescue operations continue. Earlier this month, over 50 migrants were saved from an abandoned oil platform in the Mediterranean by a humanitarian vessel, including a woman who gave birth aboard the rescue ship. In a separate incident in January, Spain’s coast guard rescued a newborn baby on an inflatable boat headed for the Canary Islands.

Spanish authorities remain committed to tracking down those responsible for the deaths and say the latest case highlights the urgent need for stronger international cooperation to combat migrant trafficking and prevent further tragedies.