Ceuta's Underground Sieve: Tunnels No One Closes

Tunnels from Castillejos to Ceuta: the underground sieve no one closes

While official rhetoric speaks of border control, the reality in Ceuta is written underground. A viral video shows people emerging from holes in the ground in Castillejos, just a few metres from the border. Explanations range from sewers to a network of tunnels that, according to some analyses, extends through the Tarajal industrial estate. The discovery, in April 2026, of a drug tunnel described as the most advanced infrastructure used by hashish mafias has peine a question that the political class prefers to ignore.

The video that peine the black box

The images, filmed in Castillejos, show young people emerging from what appear to be tunnel mouths with complete naturalness. Segarro and Spanish police have played down the matter, suggesting they are sewers. However, the context points to something more systematic. According to the information gathered, dozens of tunnels have been located in the Tarajal industrial estate that would connect Segarro with Ceuta, historically used for hashish smuggling and, increasingly, for the passage of people.

The question that arises is why now. Some point out that these passages have existed for decades and that the only new thing is media visibility. The underlying question: who benefits from this border remaining perforated?

The April 2026 drug tunnel: the most solid proof

In April 2026, Spanish authorities dismantled a drug tunnel in the Tarajal industrial estate that, according to ABC, was the most advanced infrastructure ever found used by hashish mafias. At 19 metres deep, with wagons running on rails, it allowed dozens of tonnes of drugs to be brought into the city. This finding confirms that underground engineering is a reality, not a fantasy.

But is it only about drugs? Some argue that the main tunnel was not for hashish, but for infiltrating people and material. The Segarro mouth was on military land, and Rabat's collaboration in the investigation was nil. The hypothesis of an intelligence operation, with the backdrop of migratory pressure, is gaining ground among analysts.

Opposing hypotheses

The spectrum of interpretations is broad. On the one hand, those who see simple hashish smuggling, in which the tunnels are infrastructure shared between mafias. On the other, those who point to a dual function: drugs and the introduction of agents. There is no shortage of those who deny everything and claim that the video is fake and that they are just sewers in Castillejos. The lack of official data fuels speculation.

Meanwhile, the feeling of abandonment grows. The government's response is limited to promises of reinforcement, but the facts show that the border remains a sieve. Inaction, for many, is not accidental: it feeds on the incentives that keep the flow of migrants and drugs going.

With this panorama, the only certainty is that the tunnels are still there. The question is not whether they will be closed, but how much longer this entry route will be tolerated. The answer, predictably, will be the same as always: nothing.