Spanish National Police officers have uncovered nearly €286,000 in cash, along with jewelry and watches, during searches connected to an influence-peddling investigation involving former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. The raids, ordered by National Court judge José Luis Calama, targeted properties linked to Zapatero and his associates as part of the Plus Ultra case.
At the home of businessman Julio Martínez Martínez in Madrid's upscale Salamanca district, officers from the Central Unit for Economic and Fiscal Crime (UDEF) found €286,070 in cash distributed across bags, boxes, drawers, and even hidden inside a radiator and a toiletry bag. Sniffer dogs were instrumental in locating the funds. The haul included €49,900 in a paper bag in the bathroom, €25,000 in a plastic bag, €10,000 inside a golf bag, and €50,000 concealed within a radiator. Nine watches and fourteen mobile phones were also seized.
Martínez Martínez, a friend of Zapatero and identified by investigators as a potential front man, was arrested on 11 December 2025. According to UDEF reports, he received a total of €598,910.07 from the Venezuelan airline Plus Ultra through three companies—Análisis Relevante, Voli Analítica, and IOT Domotic—none of which had any salaried employees or contractors during the years they received the income.
Search of Zapatero's Office Yields Jewelry and Documents
During a separate search of Zapatero's office on Ferraz Street, opposite the headquarters of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), officers from the UDEF financial crimes unit, assisted by the Technical Intervention Operations Group (GOIT) specialized in opening safes, discovered a safe containing necklaces, earrings, rings, bracelets, and several watches, some with inscriptions. The former prime minister's secretary told police the jewelry came from an inheritance received by Zapatero's wife, Sonsoles Espinosa.
Police also seized two hard drives, numerous folders with documents related to companies, contracts, and invoices, as well as Zapatero's personal diaries covering 2019 to 2025. Two employees voluntarily provided passwords for electronic devices. The folders included materials linked to companies under investigation for alleged financial transfers connected to Zapatero.
Zapatero has maintained that the jewelry consists of items inherited from his mother and mother-in-law, along with unspecified gifts. He explained that after selling their home and moving into rented accommodation, the couple stored the items in the office safe because their new residence lacked one. His secretary, Gertrudis Alcázar, who is also under investigation, confirmed that some pieces came from inheritances and gifts received on trips.
The former prime minister is scheduled to appear before Judge Calama on 2 June. He has described the investigation as a form of persecution, stating, "This whole affair is a kind of persecution." He is focusing on preparing his defense and wants the magistrate to be the first to hear his explanations.
The Plus Ultra case centers on allegations that Zapatero used his influence to secure a €53 million bailout for the Venezuelan airline during the pandemic, with Martínez Martínez allegedly leading a corporate structure that benefited the former prime minister and his entourage. The investigation has drawn attention to the opaque financial flows and the lack of employees in the companies involved.
This case adds to a series of high-profile corruption probes in Spain, highlighting ongoing concerns about transparency and accountability among political elites. The developments come as Spain also grapples with other issues, such as the confirmation of a second hantavirus case in Madrid and the unveiling of a €9 billion climate social plan for the energy transition.
