FBI Seizes Phone of U.S. Activist James “Fergie” Chambers While He Awaits Spanish Extradition Decision

Spanish police arrested James “Fergie” Chambers, a U.S. citizen and major donor to left-wing and humanitarian projects, in July 2026 and detained him in Madrid. After the arrest, Spanish authorities initially kept his cellphone in the national court’s custody, as required by Spanish law and the 1970 U.S.–Spain extradition treaty. According to his lawyer Aitor Martínez, the judge confirmed on July 20 that the phone remained under court control. The extradition request alleges that Chambers supported Hamas through donations to the Sameer Project in Gaza and that he participated in a protest against Israeli weapons maker Elbit Systems.

The Guardian

Spanish law stipulates that a person’s possessions can be released to a requesting country only after extradition is granted. The defense argues that the FBI’s seizure breaches both that treaty provision and Spain’s obligations to protect an asylum applicant. Under Spanish law, an asylum seeker cannot be extradited until the asylum process is completed, and Martínez asserts that the court must not provide information to the alleged persecutor. The defense has filed a petition with an appeals court seeking the phone’s immediate return and a detailed chain-of-custody report.

The Guardian

Chambers, a self-described communist and heir to the Cox family (owners of Cox Communications), sold $250 million of family stock in mid-2023 after a settlement that severed family ties. His partner, actress-activist Stella Schnabel, says she retrieved his keys and identification from the prison but is uncertain whether the phone had already been handed to the FBI. She criticized the apparent “suspension of due-process” as consistent with the current U.S. administration’s disregard for legal norms.

The Guardian

• “Chambers’s status as an asylum applicant means the court can’t ignore its obligations to protect him, or give information about him to the country alleged to be persecuting him,” — Aitor Martínez, according to attorney

The Guardian

Spanish courts are expected to deliberate the extradition case for several months. If the court ultimately grants extradition, U.S. authorities could seek to transfer Chambers to face charges. If the asylum claim is upheld, extradition would be blocked until the asylum process concludes. The defense’s appeal concerning the phone’s seizure adds another legal hurdle that could influence the final decision.

The Guardian