by AVE to Madrid
Months of careful planning surfaced as investigators traced the steps of a plot aimed at a high-profile political figure. Early data from the National Police and the intelligence community began outlining the initial moves of those who would enable the attack. The first public details emerged in the autumn, revealing that a young bricklayer from Mijas, a town in Malaga, had purchased a motorcycle under his own name and became a crucial, albeit unwitting, participant in the chain of events.
Madrid’s Provincial Intelligence Brigade, along with the General Information Commissariat of the National Police, concluded that the young man did not belong to any known terrorist organization and did not act out of allegiance to a network. Instead, he appeared to have been financially compensated for registering the motorcycle in his name, with a sum reported around 500 euros. He did not have the capacity to orchestrate the operation alone and was seemingly deceived by others involved in the plot.
from Malaga to Madrid
Authorities noted that the man was asked to update the motorcycle’s insurance to ensure any incidental trouble would be avoided. He then traveled from Malaga to Madrid by train, accompanied by a person who would later participate in the shooting. As the investigation progressed, surveillance around Vidal-Quadras’s home in Madrid intensified, with several individuals monitoring the politician over a period of weeks before the assault.
Among those involved was a detainee from Lanjarón, Granada, and a person described as having converted to a Shiite branch of Islam influenced by officials in Iran. The Iranian government has labeled extremist actions linked to certain actors during this period, which has added another layer of international interest to the case. A British companion of the man implicated in these plans was also detained, though there is no evidence tying the young woman to the assassination plot itself. Her family background points to a well-off upbringing in Lanjarón, and authorities have not linked her to the preparation of the crime.
Police have been working to clarify the thread that connects the planner to the shooter, who is described as a French citizen of Tunisian origin with a history of multiple criminal offenses accrued in Paris. The inquiry continues to determine whether this connection extended to the attempted act against Vidal-Quadras and whether there were deeper ties to the network behind the attack.
The Muslim individual and the Granada-based hitman travelled to Madrid and lodged in a hotel the night before the incident.
Investigators confirmed that the Granada-based participant and the Muslim associate moved into Madrid together and checked into a hotel the night prior to the attack. On November 9, the pair approached the senator’s residence, a route they had explored on several prior occasions. On this occasion, the shooter proceeded alone, using a motorcycle whose registration was in the name of the Malaga bricklayer. The plan unfolded with the attacker following his own route in a separate vehicle, and the exchange between the two was intentional, according to police. The suspect rode away after the act, while the Granada-based accomplice helped clear the scene. The motorcycle was later found abandoned near Fuenlabrada in the Madrid area, where investigators also noted remnants suggesting an attempt to destroy evidence.
The individual who carried out the shooting remains at large. Reports from Europe indicate that authorities suspect this person may be connected to other violent acts in different jurisdictions, although a direct link to additional cases outside of Spain has not been conclusively established. The ongoing pursuit involves uncovering the full scope of the operation, including potential financiers and facilitators who supported the plan over the months leading up to the crime.
a fourth man
Current investigative efforts focus on identifying all participants who contributed to the execution and financing of the plot against Vidal-Quadras. Early findings suggest that the Granada figure lacked the resources or connections to carry out the mission alone, implying that other unnamed parties were involved in planning and procurement. The search continues for a fourth individual who played a direct role in the years-long preparation for the attack, underscoring the complexity of the case and the breadth of coordination required to bring it to fruition. The work of the National Police remains centered on mapping who funded the operation, who provided logistical support, and how the plan matured over time. The aim is to present a complete picture of the network that stood behind the attempted assassination, including the financial conduits and organizational nodes that enabled the action to unfold.