19-Year-Old Hacker Arrested for Cyberterrorism and Major Data Leak Involving Spanish Prime Minister

• A young computer science student in Spain was arrested in connection with the massive breach targeting Pedro Sánchez.
• A second suspect was arrested as an accomplice to the security incident that impacted several other high-profile targets.
• Among charges are terrorism, cyberterrorism with intent to destabilize, terrorist threats, and the coercion of state institutions.

Spanish authorities recently arrested 19-year-old computer science student Yoel O. Q. for leading a high-profile data breach that targeted sensitive personal information of prominent figures, including Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

The breach also exposed details of government ministers, journalists, and individuals connected to the Cerdán case. The leaked data has raised alarm due to its scope and high-profile targets. 

Yoel was apprehended in Arinaga, Gran Canaria, where he is alleged to have orchestrated the cyberattack from his parents’ home, a recent report from news outlet LaVanguardia says. 

Additionally, a second suspect, Cristian Ezequiel S. M., was arrested as an accomplice. Both individuals were detained under an extensive police operation and are now being transferred to Madrid for prosecution. 

Yoel currently faces severe charges, including terrorism, cyberterrorism with intent to destabilize, terrorist threats, and the coercion of state institutions. 

His alleged involvement in far-right online communities adds another dimension to the case, as these networks often serve as breeding grounds for extremist ideologies and criminal instructions.  

Investigators revealed that they are analyzing the suspects’ electronic devices to uncover broader evidence of intent or additional assets linked to the case.  

Authorities have labeled the incident an act of cyberterrorism aimed at destabilizing state institutions. The classification of this data breach as cyberterrorism emphasizes its severity and the danger such acts pose to institutional stability.  

In 2021, the mobile phones of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Defence Minister Margarita Robles were infected with the Pegasus spyware.