Spain has discreetly expelled at least two US embassy staff accused of bribing Spanish intelligence officials to obtain classified information, El Pais newspaper reported today, citing government sources.

There was no immediate confirmation of the information from either of the two countries, which are allies and generally exchange information from their services.

The embassy staff, for whom El Pais did not provide names or positions, discreetly left at Madrid’s request after an investigation showed that two Spanish intelligence officials provided information for “a large sum”.

More than two Americans may be involved in the case “spies“, the newspaper reported citing government sources.

The Spanish intelligence agency CNI officials, a sector chief and his assistant, were arrested two months ago and a court ordered their case to be kept secret, El Pais reported.

US Ambassador Julisa Reynoso was summoned by Spanish authorities, said she knew nothing about the case and apologized, the report added. Washington then complied with a request from the Spanish defense and foreign ministries to remove the two US embassy staff.

A US official in Spain said Reynoso did not wish to comment.

Spokesmen for Spain’s foreign ministry and supreme court declined to comment, while CNI and the defense ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

“It is a very serious matter, as the recruitment of secret agents in a host country to betray their own country is an openly hostile act done with enemy governments, but never with friends or allies,” El Pais underlines.