Tenerife Migrant Boat Tragedy: 20 Dead, Smugglers Face Jail

In 2023, a boat was found south of Tenerife, and the rescue was devastating. Twenty bodies had been thrown into the sea, a 13-year-old died on board, four people were airlifted to safety, and eleven more were hospitalized.

The tragedy could have been even worse. A fishing boat spotted the vessel, which was carrying over 200 people about 80 miles south of Tenerife, and alerted Maritime Rescue.

The group of sub-Saharan Africans had been at sea for ten days. They were dehydrated, hungry, and exhausted. They were towed to shore and, once in the port of Los Cristianos, they told of their horrific journey: twenty people had died and been thrown overboard. Tragically, the body of a 13-year-old boy was also discovered at the bottom of the boat, his death possibly unnoticed by the others.

205 people survived. Among them, four men were identified as the organizers of the journey. They were arrested and jailed and will appear in court next Tuesday at the Provincial Court of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The prosecution is seeking a 15-year prison sentence for each man, totaling 60 years.

Prosecutors say the four defendants, along with others, organized the trip, charging each traveler 800,000 African francs. They navigated the boat, kept order, gave instructions, and distributed food and water.

The Prosecutor's Office believes their actions constitute a crime against the rights of foreign citizens, two counts of manslaughter due to gross negligence (for the 13-year-old and another passenger who died in hospital), and two counts of causing injury. They are also seeking compensation for two migrants injured on the trip and €150,000 for the brother of the deceased boy.