Viral footage of a boatload of migrants tackled and detained by a group of tourists on the beach

Incredible video footage making the rounds shows local Spaniards and some tourists on a Spanish beach tackling to the ground a group of migrants who attempted to land by boat.

The viral footage, recorded at Sotillo Beach in Castell de Ferro, showed 13 migrants — all of them men from North Africa — jumping off a nearby motorboat and swimming to the shore, only to be met with resistance.

Migrants attempting to land on a beach in Spain were tackled to the ground by locals and tourists before being taken into custody by police.

Read more here https://t.co/LWxUL1olcR pic.twitter.com/vNTXEq9py1

— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) August 5, 2025

“One clip showed a migrant being detained by a half-naked man in orange trunks, who sat on top of him until police arrived,” according to The Telegraph. “Another showed a beachgoer escorting a man out of the sea.”

“We all stood there staring, not quite knowing what was happening,” witness Alberto Garcia, a restaurant owner, told local media. “We thought it was a recreational boat, but when we saw that they started throwing objects into the water and people starting to get out, we realized it wasn’t normal.”

“What surprised us most was that the boat was moving very slowly, as if they weren’t in a hurry or afraid,” he added. “They went in where there were most people, as if nothing had happened, and stopped five meters from the shore. Then they jumped off one by one, and the four remaining on board, some of them hooded, calmly turned around and left.”

Upon arriving on land, some of the migrants reportedly ran along the beach, while others tried to blend in with the beachgoers. The good news was that the Civil Guard in Castell de Ferro was able to arrest at least nine of them.

“It is not clear what happened to the other four men who may have fled into the town,” The Telegraph notes. “Those who were detained are now being held at a local migrant center.”

José Antonio Martos, the deputy head of the regional authority, claimed in a statement that this incident was an insolated one.

“The arrival of migrants to Granada’s beaches is very low in 2025,” he said. “In fact, this is only the second boat to reach our shores this entire year.”

‘This is the moment a migrant boat arrives on a Spanish holiday beach before those on board are chased and tackled by angry locals.
Around a dozen of those who arrived on the boat were detained, with some held by beachgoers until authorities arrived.’

– The Sun pic.twitter.com/Sjo4MPYxx9

— The Daily Sneed (@Tr00peRR) August 4, 2025

Fewer boats have been reaching Spain’s shores because of efforts by the European Union (EU) and its member states to curb migration.

“In response to increases in irregular arrivals by sea, European governments introduced new measures to control migration,” according to The Migration Observatory. “Some of the measures implemented include crackdowns on smuggling gangs, expanded patrols, and pushbacks at sea by coast guards.”

Previously in 2024, a record number of migrants arrived in Spain through the sea.

The same thing has been happening in the U.S. Just two or so weeks ago in Florida, 10 migrants were caught landing by boat in St. Lucie County:

Months early in early May, Florida beachgoers were left stunned by migrants brazenly sailing a boat up to shore and taking off illegally into the state.

A group of migrants was seen in social media posts as they clambered out of a 30-foot sailboat that arrived on the shore of Hollywood Beach.

The vessel appeared to have some damage to its hull. Video posted on social media showed at least three people getting out of the boat and struggling through the crashing waves to get to shore.

“We thought that something crashed or something, and 10 people jumped from [the] boat,” a beachgoer told local media. “We asked, ‘Do you need help?’ They don’t speak with us.”

“Local news camera captured Hollywood police working painstakingly to remove the more than two-ton vessel Saturday, before giving up and leaving it moored on the beach,” the Daily Mail reported.

“The boat remained there well into Sunday, before being removed with excavators,” the outlet added. “Officials with the Department of Homeland Security who are handling the investigation have yet to say whether any of the men seen in the circulating footage are in custody. Their probe continues.”

Senior Staff Writer
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V. Saxena is a staff writer for BizPac Review with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University.

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