Ábalos sues Marlaska over a dog that foiled his prison visit

Ábalos loses his prison visit: a drug-sniffing dog foils his meeting with his partner

Former minister José Luis Ábalos has filed formal complaints with the Ministry of the Interior and the prison oversight court after his partner, Andrea de la Torre, was turned away during the access check at Soto del Real prison last Monday. According to ABC, one of the dogs used for security at the facility flagged the young woman, preventing the visit from taking place. The former Socialist leader's circle has confirmed the incident and is demanding explanations from Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska.

An incident that sparks skepticism

The official version points to a routine security protocol: drug-sniffing dogs detect traces of banned substances on visitors and are activated, leading to their exclusion from the facility. However, the tone of public reaction on social media and forums has been swift. There are suspicions that the altercation may have had prior political motives, or that the already strained relationship between Ábalos and Marlaska is becoming even more tense. Some suggest the former minister's partner "knows something" and that is why she has not abandoned him, while others wonder why a person convicted of corruption is still receiving intimate visits.

From the briefcase to the bra: theories about how money was transported

The harshest reaction in the debate focuses on the possibility that the partner was trying to smuggle money or substances into the prison. Some speculate she "would have hidden it in her thong or in her bra," areas that dogs can detect but manual searches sometimes miss. Although no official source has confirmed exactly what triggered the dog's alert, the case recalls previous episodes of contraband being smuggled into prisons. The question hanging in the air is whether Ábalos's partner, known for her youth and low profile, is really a loyal companion or an instrumental figure.

A prison soap opera with the smell of a settling of scores

The fact is that the incident is not an isolated event. Ábalos, a former Transport minister and a key figure in the Koldo case, has been in pretrial detention since November. His relationship with Marlaska, both heavyweights of the PSOE (Spain's Socialist Party), has deteriorated. Some analysts interpret the lawsuit as an attempt to undermine the Interior minister or to generate pressure for a possible transfer or a more favorable prison regime. The court will have to decide whether there was any irregular conduct. For now, the former minister is left without a visit and with a new front peine.