Guardia Civil and French Internal Intelligence Service arrest José Antonio Urruticoetxea Bengoetxea, alias Josu Ternera

The most wanted member of the terrorist group ETA, sought by both the French and Spanish police forces, was arrested in the town of Sallanches, in the Department of Haute Savoie (74) (France). Interpol had issued an International Arrest Warrant for Josu Ternera.

The terrorist was living close to the village of Saint Gervais les Bains, in an area closely connected with winter sports, and just a short distance from the borders between France, Switzerland and Italy.

The hunt for Josu Ternera dates back to when he went into hiding in November 2002, when he was an MP for Euskal Herritarrok, after having been summonsed to declare before the Supreme Court for ordering the attack on the military barracks in Zaragoza in which 11 people were murdered, including six children.

This manhunt has been an ongoing effort that was stepped up as a result of his participation in the latest ETA communiqué on 3 May 2018. Many leads were followed until the terrorist was finally located in the French Alps.

Assessment

The joint operation between the Spanish Guardia Civil and the French D.G.S.I. shows the commitment to the fight against terrorism and to providing redress for all its victims.

The efforts by the Guardia Civil to locate and arrest Josu Ternera form part of the search for terrorists that have fled from justice, to which end the force maintains contact with dozens of other police forces and intelligence services in third countries.

The operation remains ongoing.

Non official translation