Equipo Conjunto sobre crímenes cometidos contra los migrantes en la ruta del Mediterráneo Central | Zenodo Skip to main Communities My dashboard Log in Sign up CODESEL Published April 1, 2026 | Version v1 Journal article Open Equipo Conjunto sobre crímenes cometidos contra los migrantes en la ruta del Mediterráneo Central Authors/Creators Martínez de Baños Martínez de Morentín, Antonio (Researcher) 1, 2 Redondo Gil, Carlos (Researcher) 2 Show affiliations 1.
Academia General Militar 2. Guardia Civil Description LEGAL REVIEW Martínez de Baños Martínez de Morentín, Antonio, and Carlos Redondo Gil. “Equipo Conjunto sobre crímenes cometidos contra los migrantes en la ruta del Mediterráneo Central.” Boletín CODESEL , vol. 2, no. 8, April 2026, ISSN-e: 3045-7750. The article “Joint Team on Crimes Committed against Migrants on the Central Mediterranean Route” offers a compelling and practice-oriented examination of transnational criminal networks operating along one of the most dangerous migration corridors in the world. Positioned at the intersection of International Criminal Law, transnational organized crime frameworks, and migration governance, the study provides an insightful account of the operational and legal mechanisms deployed to combat severe abuses against migrants. The authors ground their analysis in the operational experience of the Spanish Guardia Civil, thereby offering a rare empirical perspective that complements the doctrinal dimension. The establishment of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) in 2018, under Article 19 of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), constitutes the central focus of the study. This legal basis is particularly significant, as it reflects the growing reliance on flexible, cooperative mechanisms to address crimes that transcend national jurisdictions and require coordinated prosecutorial responses. One of the article’s primary contributions lies in its detailed description of the evolution and composition of the Joint Team. Initially formed by Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, the subsequent inclusion of Spain, the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), and later German authorities, illustrates a progressive institutionalization of cooperation. Europol’s role, through the European Migrant Smuggling Centre, further highlights the importance of intelligence-sharing platforms in supporting operational coordination. The photograph on page 1, depicting institutional representatives following the renewal of the cooperation agreement, visually reinforces the multilateral nature of this initiative. From a legal perspective, the article implicitly raises critical questions regarding the classification of the crimes under investigation. The documented practices—extortion, kidnapping, forced labor, sexual violence, and torture—clearly fall within the scope of serious transnational crimes. However, the authors go further by suggesting that, in certain cases, these acts may amount to crimes against humanity or even war crimes. This observation is particularly significant, as it opens the door to the application of International Criminal Law beyond traditional conflict settings, especially in contexts where systematic violence against civilian populations is perpetrated by organized networks. The operational dimension of the study is especially compelling. The authors provide a detailed account of the modus operandi of trafficking networks, emphasizing the central role of Libya as a hub connecting multiple migration routes from West Africa, the Horn of Africa, and South Asia. The description of coercive practices—forcing migrants to contact their families for ransom payments, subjecting them to forced labor, and transferring them between traffickers—illustrates a system of exploitation that closely resembles modern forms of slavery. The routes map referenced on page 2, based on Europol data, effectively contextualizes these flows and underscores the transregional nature of the phenomenon. A particularly noteworthy case study is Operation PEARCE, which targeted a high-level Eritrean trafficker responsible for extensive abuses. The investigation and subsequent prosecution in the Netherlands represent a landmark in European judicial practice, as it is one of the first cases to address the entire migration chain—from origin to destination—within a single legal framework. The detailed account of detention conditions in Bani Walid, including systematic torture and sexual violence, provides a stark illustration of the gravity of the crimes involved and the evidentiary challenges associated with prosecuting such cases. The article also highlights the growing role of international institutions in addressing migrant smuggling. The involvement of the ICC Prosecutor’s Office signals a potential shift towards the recognition of extreme forms of migrant exploitation as matters of international concern. Similarly, the reference to the Global Alliance to Counter Migrant Smuggling underscores the increasing political and institutional attention devoted to this issue at the highest levels of governance. This article constitutes a significant contribution to the study of transnational crime and migration-related violence. By combining empirical insight, institutional analysis, and legal reflection, it provides a comprehensive overview of the challenges and innovations associated with combating organized criminal networks in the Central Mediterranean. Its emphasis on cooperation, accountability, and the potential expansion of international criminal law frameworks makes it particularly relevant for both scholars and practitioners engaged in this field. 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Versions External resources Indexed in OpenAIRE Communities Keywords and subjects Keywords Organized crime Security policy Criminal networks Cross-border crime Jurisprudence Violence Migration studies Legal analysis Transnational crime EuroSciVoc Human trafficking Law enforcement Human rights Human rights law Governance Ethics International law GEMET Human migration Law enforcement Human rights Crime Jurisprudence Ethics Risk assessment International law Public international law Criminal law European union MeSH Human Migration Emigration and Immigration Human Trafficking Human Trafficking/trends Human Trafficking/legislation & jurisprudence Human Trafficking/prevention & control International Cooperation International Cooperation/legislation & jurisprudence Law Enforcement Law Enforcement/methods Human Rights Human Rights/ethics Human Rights/trends Human Rights/legislation & jurisprudence Crime Crime/trends Crime Victims Crime/legislation & jurisprudence Crime/prevention & control Jurisprudence Internationality Internationality/legislation & jurisprudence Public Policy Ethics Decision Making Risk Assessment Violence Violence/ethics Violence/trends International Law Criminal Law Criminal Law/methods Criminal Law/trends Criminal Law/legislation & jurisprudence European Union Details DOI DOI Badge DOI 10.5281/zenodo.19679187 Markdown [](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19679187) reStructuredText .. image:: https://zenodo.org/badge/DOI/10.5281/zenodo.19679187.svg :target: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19679187 HTML <a href="https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19679187"><img src="https://zenodo.org/badge/DOI/10.5281/zenodo.19679187.svg" alt="DOI"></a> Image URL https://zenodo.org/badge/DOI/10.5281/zenodo.19679187.svg Target URL https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19679187 Resource type Journal article Publisher CODESEL Published in Boletín CODESEL, 2(8), 30-31, ISSN: 3045-7750, 2026. Languages Spanish Rights License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International The Creative Commons Attribution license allows re-distribution and re-use of a licensed work on the condition that the creator is appropriately credited. Read more Citation Export Technical metadata Created April 21, 2026 Modified April 21, 2026 Jump up About About Policies Infrastructure Principles Projects Roadmap Contact Blog Blog Support Help FAQ Developers REST API OAI-PMH Contribute GitHub Donate Funded by Powered by CERN Data Centre & InvenioRDM Status Privacy policy Cookie policy Terms of Use This site uses cookies. Find out more on how we use cookies Accept all cookies Accept only essential cookies