Rafael Yuste and Alfonso López Malo, two high-ranking Guardia Civil officers, told Spain’s Audiencia Nacional they were instructed to keep the Unidad Central Operativa (UCO) passive in cases with political implications. Their testimony to Judge Santiago Pedraz comes as scrutiny intensifies over investigations involving figures close to the government and the family of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
Information from sources present at the hearing, both generals said they had been told to keep the UCO “de perfil,” or avoid taking a proactive stance, on matters that could affect political interests. They said they understood the directions to be general and not aimed at a single party. The timing coincided with the UCO’s involvement in several high-profile cases touching on the government and Sánchez’s relatives.
Neither Judge Pedraz nor the prosecution or defense teams asked the generals whether they saw the instructions as undue pressure. That omission leaves open questions about the intent and impact of the guidance, as the UCO’s role in politically charged investigations remains under scrutiny.
In earlier statements to UCO agents on May 27, Yuste and López Malo identified Leonardo Marcos, the former director general of the Guardia Civil, as the official who ordered them to ensure a report on the case involving David Sánchez, the Prime Minister’s brother, concluded with a finding of “nothing to see.” One general also recounted that Manuel Llamas, the force’s deputy operational director, later reinforced the instruction to “stay on the sidelines” in such cases.
The David Sánchez investigation concerns his employment at the Diputación de Badajoz between 2014 and 2015. In related testimony before Pedraz, examining magistrate Beatriz Biedma said pressure had reached the UCO officers investigating the case. She reportedly said the investigators had not named anyone they believed was responsible, while identifying Colonel Yuste as someone who defended them. Biedma also said the alleged pressure reached investigators in a way she had not encountered before. Her account describes the reported effect on the officers, but does not establish who applied the pressure.
Pedraz is separately examining alleged actions affecting UCO investigators in politically sensitive cases. Guardia Civil Director General Mercedes González and Deputy Operational Director Manuel Llamas have been identified as subjects of that inquiry. Reports have linked the alleged internal scrutiny of UCO personnel to cases including the “Koldo case” and the David Sánchez investigation, as well as to possible obstruction of justice and unlawful administrative decisions. Those are matters under investigation, not findings of guilt.
Reports have also described reserved internal inquiries involving UCO personnel, including one said to have been opened in late 2024. In an account presented through his defense, Llamas linked the start of at least one internal action to a telephone call from Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, following disclosure of an email address belonging to Begoña Gómez, the Prime Minister’s wife. The address reportedly appeared in an annex to a UCO report connected with the David Sánchez case. These claims concern the handling of internal procedures and their possible connection to police work. A court has not established that they were unlawful.
This development follows a series of incidents that have put political influence over law enforcement and judicial processes under public scrutiny in Spain. Similar concerns about political maneuvering have surfaced in other recent cases, including tense negotiations between regional leaders and parties in Andalusia, as detailed in coverage of the last-minute talks between Moreno and Vox. These episodes reflect ongoing tensions over the independence of basic institutions and the boundaries of political intervention.
The UCO is a specialized unit within the Guardia Civil tasked with investigating complex crimes, including corruption and organized crime. Its impartiality is considered impressive to public trust in Spain’s justice system. The current case, reportedly linked to a network allegedly led by former Socialist Party member Leire Díez, has renewed attention to the pressures law enforcement faces when political stakes are high. As the investigation continues, senior officials’ roles and the clarity of their instructions are likely to remain central issues for the courts and the public.
