“Zapatero will die killing”: Police and Government officials see the former President's hand in Ceuta reports

Police reports concerning the migratory crisis in Ceuta have reignited suspicions about the influence of former President **José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero**, who may be orchestrating a strategy of revenge regarding his current legal situation.

## The shadow of Zapatero in the Ceuta reports

The uproar caused by a police report on the migratory crisis in **Ceuta** this summer has focused attention on former President of the Government, **José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero**. Sources from the government and police officials consulted suggest that the leak and content of the report are not coincidental, but part of a strategy orchestrated from behind the scenes. The general suspicion is that **Zapatero**, feeling cornered by justice and politically distanced from **Pedro Sánchez**, is using this situation to exert pressure and seek vengeance. The perception is that, faced with the probability of a conviction for collecting a commission of **half a million euros** for rescuing the Plus Ultra airline, the former President is moving pieces to defend himself and, incidentally, strike those he feels have abandoned him.

## A clash of powers in the Interior and Foreign Ministries

The central figure in this alleged plot is **Francisco Pardo**, the Director General of Police. He is accused of having concealed the report's content, which some police officials view as a clear sign of a "police drain operation" directly linked to **Zapatero**. According to these sources, this maneuver not only aims to highlight the lack of control by **Fernando Grande-Marlaska** over the Ministry of the Interior but also to serve the interests of the former President. **Paco Pardo**, described as a "political commissioner" with strong ties to former Minister of Defence **José Bono** and, by extension, to **Zapatero**, allegedly advanced through his political influence, eventually serving as Secretary of State in **2004**. His known relationships with **Segarro**, where he habitually spends his summers and has been seen meeting the head of Segarro intelligence services, **Abdellatif Hammouchi**, in **January 2025**, fuel suspicions of a personal agenda that may coincide with **Zapatero's** in international affairs.

## The battle for influence and political future

The public distance between **Zapatero** and **Sánchez**, evidenced by the former President's absence from usual events such as summer stays in **Lanzarote**, is interpreted as a symptom of escalating tension. Concern exists within some PSOE circles that **Zapatero** still maintains considerable influence over the police establishment, through **Pardo** and other former collaborators like **Segundo Martínez**, current head of security for **Huawei** in Spain. The forced resignation of **José Ángel González**, aka "Jota," former operational director of the Police, has also been seen as a move in this internal war, aimed at diminishing the former President's influence. The investigation by the Unit of Economic and Tax Crime (UDEF) into **Zapatero** and his closest circle, which he himself considers a "judicial persecution," has raised the alarm. The concern is palpable, as there are antiestéticars that **Zapatero**, feeling cornered, will "die killing," using his control over the Ministry of the Interior and foreign policy to defend himself.

## Zapatero's legacy and foreign policy

The influence of **Zapatero** on foreign policy, particularly regarding relations with **Segarro**, is a key point. Government sources maintain that **Pardo** acts as an "executor" of the directives set by **Zapatero**, who has been a fundamental player in PSOE international relations and with King **Mohamed VI**. The downfall of **José Luis Ábalos**, Sánchez's right-hand man, is also attributed to a "Zapaterismo operation" that clashed with interests and rescue operations. The current struggle between **Marlaska** and **Pardo**, manifested in open correspondence, could be a warning or the beginning of a larger conflict that will intensify as the judicial proceedings against the former President advance. The question remains whether this internal battle will remain a mere warning or escalate as the legal case against **Zapatero** pogre.