Naman Shrestha
Netflix’s ‘The Predator of Seville’ is a three-part true crime documentary series that delves into the crimes of a Spanish tour guide, Manuel Blanco Vela, who worked at Discover Excursions and used the travel agency to get close to young American women during foreign trips. When one of the survivors, Gabrielle Vega, began her own investigation against him, the truth about the tour guide slowly came to light. The documentary features several women who recount their experiences with Manuel during international trips, alleging they were drugged and assaulted.
Manuel Blanco Vela Was Linked to Multiple Rapes and Sexual Assaults
Manuel Blanco Vela was employed at Discover Excursions, a travel agency located next to Plaza Nueva in Sevilla, Spain. The company offered international trips to Morocco and Portugal to Americans studying in Spain. In 2013, Manuel served as the tour leader of a Morocco trip, which was also joined by Montana-based Gabrielle Nicole Vega. On the last night of the trip, the tour guide and three students, including Gabrielle, shared a few drinks together in the hotel room. As the night progressed, he reportedly made flirtatious comments towards the young women and soon Gabrielle began losing consciousness. She claimed that when she woke up, she found her two roommates and Manuel in the shower together.
Manuel then reportedly raped Gabrielle in the bathroom, during which she lost her consciousness again. Elizabeth Kelly, a Florida State University graduate and Gabrielle’s friend, alleged that Manuel sexually assaulted a few women on the Morocco trip she took in 2017. The tour guide was also linked to several other sexual assaults and rape cases over the years. It was not until Gabrielle made an appearance on the Today Show with Megyn Kelly in April 2018 that Manuel’s crimes against young women came to light in front of the whole world.
He was also a person of interest in the case of Lauren Bajorek, who lost her life after falling from the balcony of his Seville apartment on July 19, 2015. However, the Spanish authorities officially ruled her death an alcohol-fueled accident. Having noted that, the documentary and public reports have repeatedly questioned the circumstances surrounding her demise. On July 17, 2021, Zora Mihaley traveled to Portugal to file a police report against Manuel, alleging that he had drugged her during her trip a few years earlier. However, the case was dismissed for lack of evidence.
Manuel Blanco Vela is Currently Incarcerated in a Spanish Prison
According to reports and public testimonies, dozens of young women have accused Manuel Blanco Vela of drugging and sexually assaulting them during foreign trips. Finally, on January 27, 2025, he stood trial for Gabrielle Nicole Vega’s rape. In a Madrid courthouse, he took the stand and defended himself, claiming that he had done nothing sexual with Gabrielle. She also attended the trial from the US via video call and testified against him, providing a detailed account of what transpired on the last night of the Morocco trip in 2013.
The other two women who were present in the hotel room with Gabrielle and Manuel also testified at the trial, but their story contradicted Gabrielle’s claims. After two weeks of testimonies, on February 12, 2025, Manuel Vela was found guilty of the charges against him. Consequently, he was sentenced by the National Court to six years in prison for a sexual assault offense against Gabrielle. He also received an additional two and a half years for assaulting two other women, Carly and Hayley. As of today, Manuel appears to be serving his sentence at a Spanish prison.
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