UDEF uncovers Plus Ultra links.
UDEF Messages Reveal Julio Martínez Sola, 'Zapatero', Mediated Venezuela Permits for Plus Ultra
Internal messages analyzed by Spain's police financial crimes unit (UDEF) reveal that former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero personally intervened with Venezuelan officials to secure flight permits for airline Plus Ultra. In one key message, airline executive Julio Martínez Sola told majority shareholder Rodolfo Reyes: "Julio Martínez (Zapatero) va a hablar ahora con Jorge Arreaza para tema permisos" — meaning Zapatero was about to call Venezuela's foreign minister directly about permits, according to El Periódico de Aragón.
The UDEF submitted a 300-page report to investigating judge José Luis Calama in May 2026, citing Zapatero's name 210 times. The case centers on a €53 million state bailout Plus Ultra received in 2021 — despite holding less than 1% of Spain's aviation market. Zapatero testified before the Audiencia Nacional on June 17, 2026, denying all charges. He told the court: "I have never interceded for commissions."
WhatsApp Messages Place Zapatero at the Center of the Deal
The key evidence comes from the phone of Rodolfo Reyes, Plus Ultra's then-majority shareholder. U.S. Homeland Security (HSI) seized the device and handed the data to Spanish investigators. The messages show Martínez Sola coordinating directly with Reyes, treating Zapatero as an active member of their team. In one exchange, Martínez Sola wrote: "Mañana Zapatero interviene directamente" — "Tomorrow Zapatero intervenes directly," according to Diario de Mallorca.
A separate December 2020 message shows Martínez Sola telling Reyes that Venezuela's Vice Presidency — meaning Delcy Rodríguez — would deliver a "package" for Zapatero's associate, Julio Martínez Martínez, known as "Julito." UDEF describes Zapatero as the "non-visible leader" of the network. Judge Calama says there are "rational indications of criminality" based on the frequency and content of these messages, according to La Opinión de Málaga.
Venezuelan Officials Bypassed Normal Rules to Grant Plus Ultra Permits
In February 2021, Venezuela's Vice President Delcy Rodríguez authorized six regular flights between Madrid and Caracas for Plus Ultra. She bypassed the standard procedure, which requires a formal diplomatic note from the Spanish Embassy. UDEF says this was a direct result of Zapatero's mediation, calling it an "effective network of influence," according to La Opinión de Murcia.
The permits mattered because aviation was effectively shut down during the pandemic. Securing those six routes gave Plus Ultra a critical lifeline. Analysts say the "Zapatero route" worked because it gave the Maduro regime a back-channel to maintain a physical link to Europe while under international sanctions, according to El Correo Gallego.
€53 Million Bailout Now Under Fraud Investigation
In March 2021, Spain's state holding company SEPI granted Plus Ultra €53 million from the Strategic Companies Solvency Support Fund (FASEE). The fund was created to help pandemic-hit businesses. Critics immediately questioned the decision, since Plus Ultra was a tiny carrier. The investigation has since grown from a simple probe of the bailout's legality into a full corruption case involving influence peddling and money laundering, according to El Día.
Police also found 100 pieces of jewelry worth €1.3 million in Zapatero's office. That discovery added potential charges of contraband and tax fraud to the case. A direct phone call between Zapatero and Plus Ultra's president — lasting 11 minutes — is also recorded in the court file. If the bailout is proven fraudulent, the €53 million in public funds may be unrecoverable, according to La Provincia.
Political Fallout Spreads as Sánchez Government Steps Back
Spain's opposition parties have seized on the case. The People's Party (PP) called it the "largest looting scheme" linking Spanish politics to Venezuela's Maduro regime. Meanwhile, President Pedro Sánchez's government has begun distancing itself from Zapatero. Government sources now stress "tranquility," noting that no precautionary measures have been taken against the former PM yet, according to El Periódico Mediterráneo.
Zapatero has been a high-profile mediator in the Venezuela crisis for years — a role the Spanish government long tolerated. The case now puts that diplomacy under direct legal scrutiny. The next major steps in the investigation include testimony from SEPI officials and the analysis of a bag of cash seized from airline executive Julio Martínez's home, according to Información.
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