Three young individuals connected to Madrid and Barcelona were part of a broader crackdown on jihadist propaganda spreading through social networks in recent months. What sets this case apart is the age of those detained. All three are minors, which has drawn attention to the scale of radicalization among younger populations. Authorities report that their fanaticism ran deep, and they were suspected of planning violent actions. The police moved to arrest them as their activities crossed from online rhetoric to real-world plans.
One detainee is 15-year-old BN, who resides with his family in Móstoles, a town near Madrid. AE, 16, is linked to the Usera shelter for minors, and HB, born in Barcelona, is also 16. Since Tuesday, these three individuals have been at the center of an ongoing investigation led by the Minors Division of the National Court Prosecutor’s Office.
Investigators from the Information Brigades in Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia, along with the General Information Commissariat, dismantled the group. They had been active on social networks, with the intention of moving from online conversations to real-world actions that could seriously endanger lives. Police described multiple crimes associated with jihadist brainwashing, self-radicalization, and the glorification of terrorism. They also faced accusations related to terrorist self-education and conspiracy to commit murder.
Details about the case emerged as the Public Prosecutor’s Office took custody of the minors on the same day that the Information Commissioner’s Office launched its own inquiry. A related anti-terror operation in Melilla resulted in nine detainees, highlighting a widening investigation across jurisdictions.
kill the apostate
Cyber patrols identified early indicators of the three detainees’ activities on the Discord platform and other online communities popular with gamers. The group circulated radical propaganda on servers, at times endorsing extreme violence. The operation references the involvement of groups and figures associated with extremist ideologies and officials noted the dissemination of violent content advocating a universal caliphate aligned with ISIS rhetoric.
In the profiles under scrutiny, the suspects praised and mythologized past perpetrators of violence. Sources familiar with the operation indicate that the detainees had even begun outlining possible targets. The plan did not initially point to commercial or public spaces like entertainment centers or markets; instead, it suggested a belief that moderate Muslims, those deemed not sufficiently devout, were to be treated as apostates and thus as targets.
Arrests were carried out after authorities detected signs that the three were compiling explosive materials. The individuals involved were reportedly assembling production manuals for TATP, a compound associated with significant danger in past terrorist incidents. Police described the search for precursors and materials necessary to create a dangerous explosive, echoing incidents from other major attacks in Europe’s recent history.