UCO agents to travel to the Dominican Republic to investigate Aldama’s dealings

Spain.- The Spanish Civil Guard’s operations unit (UCO) is intensifying its investigation into a public contract fraud network tied to former Minister José Luis Ábalos. UCO agents plan a secret trip to the Dominican Republic to probe a company suspected of handling illegal commissions diverted from medical supply contracts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Businessman Víctor de Aldama and his associates are at the center of the scheme, with investigations now expanding internationally.

Judge Ismael Moreno, overseeing the case, is expected to charge Ábalos soon, as investigators have found him “directly responsible” for the contracts that fueled the network’s operations. Ábalos, along with his advisor Koldo García, is accused of facilitating the distribution of public funds through bribes, with Aldama’s close circle, including Venezuelans Ignacio Díaz Tapia, Jorge Brizuela, and Luis Gerardo Huiza Castellanos, under scrutiny. Brizuela, already on the radar of U.S. authorities for his links to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, played a key role in laundering money for the network.

Investigators highlight Ábalos’s involvement in several questionable activities, including securing contracts for the network and orchestrating payments for luxury accommodations. Although Ábalos denies any knowledge of the criminal plot, judicial sources indicate his indictment is imminent. The anti-corruption prosecutor’s office is preparing to present evidence to the Supreme Court, outlining Ábalos’s deep involvement with the criminal network.