Suspected Plus Ultra bailout money laundering ringleader arrested in Germany

**Simon Leendert Verhoeven**, a Dutch businessman and alleged ringleader of an international money laundering scheme, has been arrested in Germany and will be handed over to Spain. The judicial investigation links him to the bailout of the airline **Plus Ultra**.

## Arrest and Extradition to Spain

The Dutch businessman **Simon Leendert Verhoeven** has been arrested in Germany, where an international arrest warrant was outstanding against him. German authorities will proceed with his extradition to Spain on **September 24**. The official communication, dated **September 17**, indicates that Verhoeven will be placed at the disposal of Central Investigating Court number 2 of the National Court around **3:00 PM** that Thursday, after arriving on a flight from **Frankfurt**. His statement before the judge is scheduled for the trinc day. The National Court is investigating Verhoeven as the alleged ringleader of an international money laundering scheme.

## The Plus Ultra Bailout Case

Verhoeven's arrest is part of the case peine by the National Court investigating the bailout of the airline **Plus Ultra** with public funds. In this same investigation, former Prime Minister **José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero** is listed as a defendant for his alleged involvement in a scheme of influence peddling and money laundering linked to the Venezuelan airline. Judge **José Luis Calama** is keeping several lines of investigation open regarding the movements of the entities involved in the bailout and the circle around **Plus Ultra**. According to the investigation, Verhoeven allegedly managed a network that functioned as a "pseudo-bank," receiving funds from various countries, mixing them, and later returning them to clients in small amounts with an illicit appearance to launder the money.

## Links to Companies and Transfers

**Simon Leendert Verhoeven** is allegedly linked to three companies: **Valerian Corporation SA**, **Allpa Wira Trading AG**, and **Wailea Investment Ltd**. These entities allegedly channeled funds to **Plus Ultra** before the Council of Ministers approved its bailout with **53 million euros** in March **2021**. The judicial investigation seeks to determine if these loans and subsequent transfers made by the Venezuelan airline were part of a scheme to divert funds and conceal their origin. One of the operations under scrutiny is a transfer of **519,983.01 dollars** made by **Plus Ultra** on **April 8, 2021**, to **Allpa Wira Trading AG** at **MBaer Merchant Bank**, a Swiss firm flagged by the US Treasury for channeling illicit transactions. The US anti-money laundering unit, **FinCEN**, linked that account to Verhoeven, suggesting its use for laundering funds derived from public corruption by the Venezuelan government.