Court Lifts Travel Ban on Plus Ultra Case Defendant. The National Court has allowed businessman Julio Martínez Martínez to leave Spain. The judge determined that the flight risk has decreased. Restrictions were also eased for other defendants in the Venezuelan money case.
In Madrid, National Court judge José Luis Calama has modified the pre-trial measures for businessman Julio Martínez Martínez, a suspect in the Plus Ultra case. He is now allowed to freely leave the territory of Spain, and is no longer required to report to court every two weeks. This decision was made after the judge recognized that the flight risk for Martínez Martínez and several other defendants in the case had decreased.
The investigation concerns possible laundering of Venezuelan funds and the creation of a criminal organization. Martínez Martínez, known as a close associate of former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, was detained in December 2025 along with the management of the airline Plus Ultra and a Madrid-based lawyer. According to investigators, the suspects may have been involved in the misappropriation of 53 million euros allocated by the government to rescue the airline after the pandemic.
Modification of measures for defendants
In his ruling, Judge Calama noted that, despite sufficient grounds to suspect Martínez Martínez of serious crimes, further restricting his freedom of movement is unnecessary. The businessman is now only required to notify the court if he changes his address. Similar leniency has been extended to other participants in the case, including Plus Ultra CEO Roberto Roselli. As reported by EL PAÍS, the decision was made considering that all suspects had conscientiously complied with previously imposed measures.
As part of the investigation, Peruvian businessman Luis Felipe Baca Arbulu was also detained and extradited from Aruba. After questioning, the court released him on the condition that he not leave the country. Roselli had previously also obtained relaxed restrictions, and Martínez Martínez became the latest to whom the judge showed leniency.
Investigation details
The investigation is looking into how the funds allocated to Plus Ultra by the decision of the Council of Ministers were actually spent. Special attention is given to Análisis Relevante, a company owned by Martínez Martínez, which, according to investigators, may have received commissions of up to 1% of the state support for services in Venezuela. The opposition in the Senate demanded explanations from Zapatero regarding his ties to the businessman and possible influence on the allocation of funds. The former Prime Minister himself rejected all accusations, stating that he had no involvement in the distribution of the aid.
The police and UDEF are analyzing transfers totaling more than 500,000 euros paid by Análisis Relevante to Zapatero. According to him, these funds were received as payment for consulting services. According to EL PAÍS, separate checks are also being conducted regarding the former head of government on suspicion of concealing real estate through third parties.
Context and parallels
The Plus Ultra case has become one of the most high-profile investigations in recent years related to state subsidies and possible corruption schemes. Similar cases have already attracted public attention, such as the Pujol family case in Catalonia, where the prosecution also pointed to attempts to politicize legal proceedings and conceal capital. More details about the prosecution’s response to such cases can be found in the article about the Pujol family case and accusations of capital concealment.
