US multimillionaire arrested in Ibiza on international warrant
James Cox "Fergie" Chambers Jr., businessman and political activist, is being held in provisional detention on the Balearic island. His associates accuse the Trump administration of persecuting him for his support for Palestine.
US multimillionaire arrested in Ibiza on international warrant
A court on the Balearic island ordered the provisional detention of James Cox "Fergie" Chambers Jr., who was arrested on Saturday in Ibiza following receipt of an extradition request from the United States. The precautionary measure will be reviewed at a hearing scheduled for 16 July, according to Majorca Daily Bulletin.
The detainee, heir to the Cox Enterprises conglomerate—one of the largest private groups in the United States—was intercepted by the National Police in a public place while walking with his family members. The arrest warrant follows a request from the US Department of Justice.
Those close to the businessman have issued a statement rejecting extradition to his country's authorities and denouncing that the case stems from "political persecution" orchestrated by the White House. According to their account, the Donald Trump administration is persecuting Chambers for his activism in support of the Palestinian people and his humanitarian work in Gaza.
The defence of the arrested man argues that the federal charges he faces—some of which carry penalties of up to three decades in prison—lack foundation. In particular, they call the accusation relating to alleged financial support for Palestinian resistance entirely fabricated, claiming that the money transfers attributed to him correspond to commercial and personal transactions made from US territory to Tunisia, where the businessman regularly lived.
In 2023, Chambers separated his fortune from the family empire by selling his shareholding, valued at around 250 million dollars. Since then, his inner circle asserts that he directed those funds towards left-wing causes, humanitarian aid and international solidarity projects. Among other contributions, he reportedly delivered over one million pounds sterling for relief initiatives in the Gaza Strip and funded media outlets and organisations critical of Israeli policy.
Stella Schnabel, the multimillionaire's partner, stated that her partner is behind bars for "using his money to support Palestine and the victims of genocide in Gaza". The detainee's associates have called on lawyers, politicians and pro-Palestinian organisations to mobilise against extradition on the day of the judicial review.
Neither the Spanish Interior Ministry nor the US Department of Justice have detailed the alleged crimes motivating the extradition request at this time.
Source: Majorca Daily Bulletin