The rescue of Plus Ultra Líneas Aéreas was approved by the Council of Ministers in March 2021 for a total amount of 53 million euros, charged to the Fund for the Support of the Solvency of Strategic Companies (FASEE). An instrument created by the Government to support viable companies that were experiencing economic difficulties as a consequence of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
But the operation aroused suspicions for PP and Vox, who linked the operation to the payment of favors to businessmen close to the Venezuelan government. The case finally reached the courts, denounced by the pseudosyndicate Manos Limpias as well as by the two conservative formations.
The case was dismissed in January 2023, although a year later the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office received two cooperation requests from France and Switzerland to investigate an alleged criminal organization for the alleged misuse of the 53 million euros from the rescue.
Within the framework of that investigation, which ended up being transferred to the National Court, Judge José Luis Calama has identified former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero as the alleged leader of an influence peddling structure that revolves around the public rescue.
An investigation that also points to other actors:
Julio Martínez Sola, the founder and president of the airline
At the center of the alleged scheme is Julio Martínez Sola, the businessman who founded Plus Ultra in 2011 and presided over it during the rescue period. The company, with operations between Madrid, Latin America, and the Caribbean, went through financial difficulties during the pandemic, which led to the request for public rescue.
The judge places Martínez Sola as one of the central figures on the business side of the case, as directly responsible for the airline that benefited from state aid.
He was arrested in December 2025 as part of an operation by the Economic and Fiscal Crime Unit (UDEF) of the National Police for his alleged integration into a criminal organization dedicated to money laundering from Venezuela, which, according to the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, could have used the public rescue granted to the airline as a way to channel and launder these illicit funds.
Roberto Roselli, the company's CEO, was also arrested in this operation.
Precisely, on May 12, the National Court judge José Luis Calama agreed to reduce the precautionary measures imposed on both in December 2025.
Julio Martínez Martínez, intermediary and alleged key link
The businessman and personal friend of Zapatero, Julio Martínez Martínez, appears as a central figure in the alleged intermediation network. The order describes him as the nexus between the former president's circle and the companies linked to the operation, in addition to administrator of companies used to channel payments.
During the searches carried out, a contract would have been located that would contemplate a 1% commission from the Plus Ultra rescue, as well as cash amounts at his home.
Precisely, the consultancy Análisis Relevante, owned by Julio Martínez Martínez, is pointed out as one of the central nodes of the scheme. The judge indicates that this company would have channeled payments both towards the former president's circle and towards other companies linked to consulting and communication services.
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero: the alleged leader of the structure
Finally, the former President of the Government José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, investigated for alleged crimes of influence peddling, criminal organization and document forgery within the framework of the case.
According to the instructor, Zapatero would have occupied the center of a network aimed at obtaining economic benefits through intermediation with public bodies, especially in relation to the approval of the company's rescue.
The order maintains that his role would have consisted of using contacts and institutional influence to favor specific administrative decisions.