AGP Executive Report
Last update: 12 hours agoBorder & Mobility: Spain and Morocco kick off Operation Marhaba on 10 June, running to 15 September, with reinforced coordination across ports, routes, digitisation and biometrics; forecasts point to about 3.5 million travellers and ~900,000 vehicles crossing the Strait of Gibraltar, up ~3% from 2025. Security & Trade Risks: Spain intercepted the Comoros-flagged dry bulk Arconian off Western Sahara on 1 May in what investigators call the biggest cocaine seizure on record (>30 tonnes), tied to a sustained West Africa-to-Europe smuggling route coordinated by Dutch trafficker Jos “Bolle Jos” Leijdekkers, with transfers near Morocco, the Canaries and North Africa. Industry in Occupied Territory: Heidelberg Materials says it produced nearly 600,000 tonnes of cement in occupied Western Sahara in 2025 (up from ~500,000 in 2024) and supplied concrete/cement for major port and infrastructure projects including El Aaiún and Dakhla Atlantique. Diplomacy Watch: UN envoy Staffan de Mistura plans a June 7–8 visit to the Tindouf camps aimed at creating conditions to restart Western Sahara negotiations. Policy Pressure: A US senator is pushing to label Polisario as terrorists, citing alleged Iran-linked maritime threats to the Strait of Gibraltar.
Note: AI summary from news headlines; neutral sources weighted more to help reduce bias in the result. Feedback is welcome. Please let us know if you have any comments or suggestions about the AGP Executive Report.