Former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero denied orchestrating an influence-peddling scheme tied to a $61.5 million airline bailout as he testified last June at Madrid's Audiencia Nacional. Now the judge in the case has ordered police to track and seize any Bitcoin and Litecoin linked to Zapatero, widening a probe that already froze bank accounts and offshore company checks.
The judge's crypto seizure order
Investigating Judge José Luis Calama signed a seizure order on May 18, 2025, directing police to locate and seize any Bitcoin and Litecoin tied to Zapatero. This is in addition to frozen bank accounts and checks. Any recovered crypto will be stored in Prosegur's high-security crypto bunker in Madrid, which holds keys offline under a contract for judicial crypto seizures. Judge Calama has previously prosecuted Spain's largest crypto frauds, including the Madeira Invest fraud that affected over 3,000 people.
What Zapatero told the court
Zapatero testified on June 17, 2025, facing four charges: influence peddling, money laundering, tax fraud, and smuggling. The judge placed Zapatero at the 'apex' of an organized network, claiming he ordered an offshore company set up in Dubai eight days after the cabinet approved the bailout. Zapatero stated that payments flagged by investigators were legitimate consulting fees and design work for his daughters' agency. He denied any contact with government officials or airline executives over the rescue. He offered the court a 'voluntary universal authorization' to verify his assets and claimed he holds nothing outside Spain.
The Plus Ultra bailout and broader context
The probe centers on the 2021 rescue of Plus Ultra, an airline with ties to Venezuelan businessmen, which received $61.5 million through state holding company SEPI. Spain has tightened crypto oversight under new EU money laundering rules. The instruction phase of the case continues, and the judge has not confirmed whether tracing has located any cryptocurrency wallets. Whether the order will yield any crypto assets is still unclear. No trial date has been set.
