In the late 80s and early 90s the magistrate acted on Arab terrorist organizations in the Middle East (Abu Nidal, Abu Abbas, Hezbollah). The list of Garzón’s actions in this matter, international terrorism, is summarized below:
- Investigation of the hijacking of the Italian vessel Achille Lauro, which occurred on October 7, 1985, in the Bay of Alexandria (Egypt). It was a hijacking by the terrorist group led by Palestinian Abu Abbas in the Bay of Alexandria of the aforementioned Italian vessel. The weapons, according to the investigation, would have been delivered to Spain. An American citizen (Leon Klinghoffer) and hostage was killed.
- Research on terrorist organizations in North Africa, Algerian such as GIA and the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (Algeria) Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, the Moroccan Islamist Combatant Group or Libyan Islamic Combatant Group, now integrated in Al Qaeda; Ansar El Islam in Iraq; Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Persian Gulf, Indonesia, etc.. These investigations were historically the first to be held in Spain and were made by Baltasar Garzón in the Central Court of Instruction No. 5, from 1988, along with other related international terrorism in Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia.
- Investigation into the AL QAEDA terrorist network and its implications in Spain and other countries: Afghanistan, Iraq (Nassirya bombing,) Algeria, El Sahel and Morocco (Casablanca bombings in 2003), India (Mumbai attacks), Indonesia, United States (Twin Towers), Syria, Saudi Arabia.
- Different operations like Tigris, or Jackal, related to sending Mujahideen to Iraq, or Nova, related to the attempted bombing of the High Court and in particular against Garzón himself, as recorded in the corresponding summary.
- Investigation into the funding of national and international terrorism by developing coordinated investigation with the three Security Forces in the case of ETA and AL QAEDA and with the different Foreign Intelligence Units as well as the American FBI, INTERPOL, French, Portuguese, Moroccan, British, Belgian and Dutch police among others.