The seven men were arrested at an emergency shelter on the island of Tenerife on suspicion of killing four migrants while crossing the sea from mainland Africa to the Canary Islands last month. It is believed that they were the "captains" of the vessel, according to Spanish authorities.

The four individuals were reportedly killed at sea two days before reaching the Spanish archipelago. Three of those four victims have been identified, and their families have since been informed of their passing.

The migrant ship arrived on the Canary island of El Hierro on November 3, with a total of 207 asylum seekers on board.

Migrants from the ship later described their experience at sea as "a real nightmare," which prompted the investigation.

'A nightmarish journey'

The ship had reportedly set sail from Gambia, making a stopover on the Senegalese isle of Bassoul where the majority of the migrants reportedly boarded the vessel.

According to Spain's Civil Guard, one of the migrants, "probably shaken by the harshness of the journey, became disoriented, which led the captains to blame him for all the problems of the crossing."

"They started beating him and those who tried to defend him," the statement by the Civil Guard further highlighted.

After the first three days at sea, three of the smugglers who were responsible for maintaining order or board reportedly decided to punish some of the migrants and to "kill four of the migrants to scare the others."

Spain still top destination for migrants and refugees

Spain remains one of the main destinations for migrants hoping to reach Europe, especially those departing from West Africa.

The number of migrants who illegally entered the country through via Canary Islands has increased significantly in the last few months; just in the past week, over 500 people were rescued while approaching the archipelago.

According to official figures, over 43,700 migrants landed in the Canary Islands in 2024 -- compared to the figure of 36,000 in the entire previous year.

Meanwhile, over 10,000 migrants died or went missing at sea while trying to reach Spain, according to a report published on Thursday by the Spanish NGO Caminando Fronteras.