A Spanish investigation has uncovered a multilayered scheme of malfeasance carried out by the Makhzen family. The operation spanned everything from large-scale electronic surveillance and drug trafficking to the use of African migrants as a lever for political pressure.
Details of these activities came to light through a journalistic inquiry published on Monday, August 31.
The investigation draws on intelligence and law enforcement records, official statistics, and independent reporting on Makhzen’s involvement in espionage, narcotics, and migration-related coercion.
A central finding is a documented series of cyberattacks. Between May 2018 and June 2019, Morocco’s intelligence services carried out 768 targeted breaches using Pegasus spyware against 250 Spanish phone numbers. Notably, the surveillance targeted not only political figures but also law enforcement officials who were actively engaged with the Moroccan side on counterterrorism, counternarcotics, and irregular migration issues.
Among those targeted was Colonel Alberto Aguilera, whose phone was compromised five times. Aguilera had previously served as internal affairs attaché at the Spanish Embassy in Rabat and played a direct role in setting up the Joint Cooperation Center of the Spanish and Moroccan police in Tangier.
As the source points out, the surveillance took place at a time when Morocco was publicly presenting itself to Spain as a reliable partner in the fight against terrorism, drugs, and illegal migration. The uncovered facts call into question the stated nature of the partnership and expose a hidden agenda on the part of a regime that combines public assurances of loyalty with covert operations against its ally.