The 19 suspects are in pre-trial detention and are charged with irregular immigration, murder, assault, and torture.

On August 24, a makeshift vessel was rescued off Gran Canaria in the Atlantic Ocean with 248 survivors on board, Spanish police said.

Initially, about 300 people were believed to be on board, Spanish authorities said, adding that they suspect, based on survivor accounts, that the missing were thrown overboard during the 11-day voyage.

Survivors told investigators that several of the arrested people acted as captains and "attacked dozens of people, beating and mistreating them in various ways," according to a police statement. "In some cases, they threw migrants alive overboard and refused to help those who accidentally fell into the water," the statement added.

According to authorities, at least 50 people were thrown overboard during the voyage.

Police said some of the murders were linked to superstition, with victims accused of "witchcraft" and of being responsible for engine breakdowns, food shortages, or storms.

According to the indictment, others were killed for objecting to the harsh conditions on board.

A man who was seriously ill during the rescue later died in a hospital in the Canary Islands.

Spain is one of the three main entry points for migrants into Europe, along with Italy and Greece.

Authorities estimate that thousands of people have died in recent years attempting to cross the Atlantic to the Canary Islands, off the west coast of the African continent. In 2024, 47,000 irregular arrivals were recorded in the Spanish archipelago, a number that increased for the second consecutive year, as stricter controls in the Mediterranean led migrants to attempt the Atlantic route.