The Spanish paper El Pais reviews that the US quietly withdrew two workers staff on the request of Spain’s authorities.
Spain has ejected two workers staff at the USA embassy, following allegations that they tried to bribe Spanish intelligence officers in alternate for secrets and techniques.
Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles stated on Thursday that Spain had filed a criticism to the US, however that the incident wouldn’t hurt diplomatic relations between the 2 international locations.
“Spain and the USA are buddies, allies and companions,” she instructed reporters. “When there are points that will have an effect on us, they’re mentioned and handled, however by no means does that affect the relations we now have.”
The newspaper El Pais reported that two unnamed embassy staff had been discreetly eliminated on the request of Madrid, following an investigation that concluded that that they had obtained data from Spanish intelligence brokers for a “giant sum”.
Robles confirmed {that a} judicial inquiry was trying into “irregular conduct” on the CNI, Spain’s intelligence company. The content material of the fabric shared with the 2 embassy staff isn’t clear.
El Pais reported {that a} CNI chief of space and his assistant had been arrested two months in the past, however a court docket ordered that their case stay secret. The paper added that US Ambassador Julissa Reynoso denied any data or involvement when summoned by Spanish authorities.
“At the least two US brokers stationed on the US Embassy in Madrid, who had been instantly concerned within the recruitment of CNI spies, have been discreetly expelled from Spain,” the El Pais story reads.
Whereas making an attempt to recruit brokers from a rustic’s intelligence equipment is a type of spycraft typical of relations between hostile powers, El Pais referred to as the incident “an brazenly hostile act” not befitting of “buddies or allies”.
The Spanish outlet El Confidencial first reported in regards to the arrest of the 2 CNI staff on Monday. Requested in regards to the incident on Monday, US nationwide safety adviser Jake Sullivan declined to remark.
The US embassy in Madrid and Spain’s international ministry have additionally declined to touch upon the affair.