MADRID, Spain — Spanish National Police discovered jewelry, watches, and digital storage devices inside a safe located in the office of former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero during a court-ordered search conducted as part of the judicial investigation into the Plus Ultra airline rescue case, according to investigative documentation obtained by verified media sources.
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The search, carried out on May 19 under orders from National Court Judge José Luis Calama, was executed by agents from the Economic and Fiscal Crime Unit (UDEF) at an office building situated across from the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party headquarters on Calle Ferraz in Madrid. Officers were accompanied by specialists from the Technical Intervention Operations Group (GOIT), a unit trained in safe opening and access to secured compartments.
According to the official record, before proceeding with the search, Zapatero’s legal representative requested permission to make a telephone call to obtain a key for the office safe. An individual subsequently arrived with the key, rendering technical forced entry unnecessary. The safe, according to statements provided by Zapatero’s personal secretary Gertrudis Alcázar, belonged jointly to the former prime minister and his wife, Sonsoles Espinosa. Ms. Alcázar indicated that some jewelry items contained within were inherited by Ms. Espinosa or received as gifts during official travels.
Among dozens of valuable items documented during the search were necklaces, earrings, bracelets, watches, and rings, several bearing inscriptions. One gold-colored Krono brand watch was engraved with the phrase “your colleagues,” while a pouch containing earrings, bracelets, rings, watches, a pin, a chain, and a gold cord bore the inscription “presidency of the government.”
In addition to jewelry, investigators recovered two hard drives extracted from a desktop computer located in the office. Adjacent to the room containing the safe, police documented dozens of folders with handwritten labels including “Análisis Relevante”—a company central to the judicial inquiry—“contracts, invoices JLRZ,” “conference invoices,” “Thinking Heads,” and “Editorial-Planeta-Huso-Novona.” Several personal agendas spanning 2019 to 2025, labeled “President Zapatero,” were also seized.
According to the investigative record, both Gertrudis Alcázar and Judith Wells Sutton, an employee of the office, voluntarily provided passwords and access codes for computers, mobile phones, and other electronic devices. From the first office searched, belonging to the two staff members, police seized folders labeled “Chinalink Asia”—a company that, according to UDEF documentation, executed 27 transfers to Mr. Zapatero totaling €159,034—and “Focus Social Research SAC,” a Lima-based firm reportedly engaged in “business consulting activities” that allegedly made three transfers totaling €200,000.
💎❗️ Las joyas de Zapatero desatan el debate en la calle
— El Debate (@eldebate_com) May 26, 2026
«Se piensan que somos tontos»
«De entrada, unas joyas así se guardan en un banco, no en un despacho» pic.twitter.com/Yiaoqxfgms
Additional items seized from Ms. Alcázar included two handwritten pages, an iPhone, additional hard drives, and several agendas, some marked with the initial “C.” Digital forensic extraction from computers used by Zapatero’s secretary and Ms. Wells yielded email communications and electronic files. Agents reported finding “nothing noteworthy” in Zapatero’s personal office or an adjacent workspace. From a final office area, folders referencing “Obra Casa Gilmar” and “Obras Maria” were documented.
The Plus Ultra investigation, overseen by the National Court due to charges including alleged criminal organization and influence peddling, examines whether public funds allocated for the airline’s rescue were used appropriately or diverted to repay loans to other entities not directly connected to the recovery operation. The judicial inquiry originated from a complaint filed by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office in 2024, following alerts from financial intelligence units in Switzerland and France.
Under Spanish criminal procedure, individuals under investigation retain the presumption of innocence until proven guilty through formal judicial proceedings. Mr. Zapatero has previously stated that his professional activities were conducted legitimately and that payments received were for authorized consulting services unrelated to any improper influence regarding the Plus Ultra rescue.
Legal analysts note that searches of offices belonging to former high-ranking officials require careful adherence to procedural safeguards while ensuring thorough examination of evidence that may implicate public trust and institutional integrity. Spanish judicial protocols provide mechanisms for appeals, evidentiary challenges, and defense representation throughout all stages of investigation and potential prosecution.
As judicial proceedings continue, authorities have indicated that further details will be released through official channels in accordance with applicable legal protocols, judicial secrecy provisions, and privacy considerations. Further updates regarding investigative developments, judicial determinations, or related policy considerations are expected as the National Court and relevant agencies provide additional information through verified sources.
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Note: This report is based on police documentation, judicial sources, and verified media accounts. Legal proceedings remain subject to Spanish judicial protocols and the presumption of innocence. All individuals mentioned in connection with potential criminal activity are presumed innocent until proven guilty through formal judicial proceedings. Details regarding the ongoing investigation remain subject to judicial secrecy and privacy protections.
Reporting from Madrid. Additional contributions from judicial affairs correspondents and anti-corruption policy analysts.
