Published on 14/09/2026 – 21:35 GMT+2
In the summer of 2024, former Moroccan intelligence officer Mehdi Hijaouy reached out to associates of former Venezuelan intelligence chief Hugo Carvajal, offering Spanish authorities information that could shield him from potential extradition to Morocco, according to The Objective.
At that time, Hijaouy—who had been compelled into exile after a dispute with fellow intelligence officers—was residing in France before deciding to relocate to Spain out of concern for his own safety and that of his family.
He consulted a lawyer who had previously assisted Carvajal in cooperating with Spanish authorities, hoping to avoid his own extradition to the United States.
Carvajal, the former director of Venezuela’s military intelligence service, was arrested in Spain in 2021 and subsequently extradited to the United States on charges of narco‑terrorism and drug trafficking.
Sources cited by The Objective said the former Moroccan agent claimed to possess information about the operations of Morocco’s intelligence services and offered to provide it.
The offer was transmitted to the Audiencia Nacional’s public prosecutor’s office—led by Jesús Alonso—through an intermediary. Documents released by ABC indicate that an email dated 7 October 2024 formally presented the information.
Hijaouy said he could supply details on the deployment of Pegasus spyware against Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, as well as intelligence on terrorism and organized crime.
The prosecutor’s office replied on 28 October. An assistant to Alonso noted that, because the Pegasus case was already before the courts, the information needed to be forwarded to the investigating judge. Judicial sources cited by ABC reported that the offer never reached Judge José Luis Calama.
After deciding not to cooperate with Spanish authorities, Hijaouy began exploring departure from Spain, considering destinations such as Canada or Algeria, among other possibilities, according to The Objective.
He ultimately left Spain by ship and private aircraft, reaching Turkey, and has since proceeded to an undisclosed location; his current whereabouts remain unknown.
