Mossos d'Esquadra, the Catalan regional police, and Spain's National Police say they have dismantled a Trinitarios faction linked to violent robberies in Barcelona, Girona and L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, including raids on luxury homes carried out with firearms and so-called butrón tactics, a method of entering through a hole opened in a wall. For residents, the case matters because investigators say the group operated across several Catalan municipalities and is tied to armed robberies, shootings and home invasions.

Police said seven people were arrested in the home-robbery branch of the investigation, two of whom were remanded in custody, according to the source text provided. Officers also seized 16 high-end watches, as well as firearms and other weapons, in an operation that investigators say exposed the network.

Joint investigation began after February shooting in L'Hospitalet

A wider joint investigation by Mossos and the National Police began in February after an attempted homicide linked to a violent robbery with a firearm in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, according to police accounts reported by EL PAÍS. One suspect was arrested after that shooting, and investigators from both forces found overlap in the people they were tracking.

That wider operation, named Sixhole by the Mossos and Rosari by the National Police, led to a major raid on Tuesday 2 December. More than 300 officers were deployed in Barcelona, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Esplugues de Llobregat, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Cubelles and Salou, where police carried out searches and arrests.

Police say the dismantled faction is suspected of violent robberies, drug trafficking and attempted homicide, and that the investigation remains under judicial secrecy.

EL PAÍS reported on 2 December that 15 people were initially arrested in the broader operation, including Joel Alexander M., described by investigators as a leader at European level, and Waltel Yasmani F., known as Pukita, who police consider a deputy leader. A later report by the same outlet on 13 December said 19 people had been detained in total and that officers attributed five shootings and two attempted homicides to the faction.

What police say the group did

According to the source material, the faction is linked to at least five violent robberies involving firearms. Investigators said suspects would often wait for victims to leave nightlife venues before attacking them.

  • On 8 June in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, a shooting left one person seriously injured.
  • On the night of Sant Joan, in the Montigalà industrial estate in Badalona, gunfire was used against several people during a robbery for chains and jewellery, leaving two people with gunshot wounds and one with a knife injury.
  • On 25 June in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, investigators say a young man travelling on an electric scooter was intercepted and shot in the leg during a robbery.

In the luxury home robberies described in the source text, the group is said to have used weapons and butrón entries. The term refers to opening a hole in a wall to gain access to a property, rather than forcing the main door.

Weapons, cash and watches seized

In the broader police operation, officers reported seizing five firearms, numerous bladed weapons, drugs, €30,000 in cash, computer and telephone equipment, and Trinitarios symbols. Separate source material on the luxury-home investigation says officers also recovered 16 high-end watches.

For people living in the affected areas, the clearest confirmed facts are that the investigation covered multiple municipalities, involved home and premises searches, and remains open. Police have not published a full list of addresses searched, and some court proceedings are still under secrecy rules.

The operation took place in Barcelona, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Esplugues de Llobregat, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Cubelles and Salou, with 20 searches reported by El Mundo in homes and other premises used by suspects.

Reported by Source Text Link, Rebeca Carranco, Agencias, elmundo.es, Cesc Maideu, lavanguardia.com, written by Lorraine Williamson, Orsolya Gazdagi, Mayka Navarro, Beatriz Sobrino Publicado: 02 de diciembre de 2025, 13:32, Guillem RS, Iván Sevilla, apdnoticies.com.