The Partido Popular (PP) has formally asked Judge Santiago Pedraz of the National Court to suspend the command authority of Mercedes González, director general of the Guardia Civil, and her deputy, Lieutenant General Manuel Llamas, over the Central Operative Unit (UCO). Both officials remain under investigation for allegedly using internal disciplinary measures to influence ongoing probes into the PSOE and the government. Spanish reports often call the proceedings the Leire Díez case or the “Cloacas” case. They concern alleged efforts to obstruct or undermine investigations into politically sensitive matters.
In its submission, the PP argues that González and Llamas remaining at the top of the Guardia Civil hierarchy puts the investigations’ integrity at risk. Their direct command over UCO agents involved in sensitive inquiries could, the party says, lead to reprisals or pressure on witnesses and officers. The allegations concern the possible use of internal Guardia Civil inquiries to influence UCO investigators, not an investigation conducted by the UCO itself.
The PP’s petition, made public on Friday, urges Judge Pedraz to impose precautionary measures stripping González and Llamas of command functions over the UCO, especially in relation to the Department of Economic Crime and Anti-Corruption, led by Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Balas. The party also seeks to bar the two officials from initiating or handling internal investigations against UCO agents and from accessing documents or systems tied to the judicial case. These are requests for court-ordered measures; any restrictions would require a decision by Judge Pedraz.
The internal inquiries at issue reportedly involved UCO files numbered 1/24 and 1/25. Written material attributed to Llamas said González had been informed about one inquiry because she had helped initiate it through a telephone call with the interior minister. It also stated that González herself ordered another inquiry to be opened, making a separate written notification of its closure unnecessary. These accounts have become part of the evidence concerning the chain of command and González’s involvement in internal proceedings involving UCO personnel.
Both González and Llamas have retained their posts despite the legal proceedings, which the PP criticizes as a sign of government inaction. González and Llamas reportedly appeared before Judge Pedraz at the National Court in Madrid in July 2026. The party also wants former Guardia Civil chief Leonardo Marcos summoned as a suspect, citing witness claims that he instructed the UCO to take a passive stance in the investigation involving David Sánchez, the brother of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. David Sánchez was recently barred from office for nine years following a conviction for malfeasance.
PP vice-secretary Alma Ezcurra said at a press briefing that investigations must proceed without interference from people under judicial scrutiny. UCO material cited in the case places former PSOE member Leire Díez within an alleged effort to damage inquiries connected with the prime minister’s brother and other politically sensitive cases. Investigators reportedly identified at least 39 meetings between Díez and a senior PSOE-linked figure, including 22 at the party’s federal headquarters on Ferraz Street. Judge Pedraz’s assessment reportedly described the contacts as potentially involving “coordination and reporting back.”
Investigators also reportedly documented several contacts between Díez and González, including a meeting at González’s official office in November 2024. Díez allegedly described González as someone she trusted and could contact directly. El Debate also reported that UCO material contained the alleged instruction to “destroy the brother’s proceedings.” The claims remain under examination by the court.
Mercedes González, considered a close ally of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and backed by both the prime minister and Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, has defended herself before Judge Pedraz, claiming to be a political victim of the alleged plot orchestrated by Santos Cerdán and Leire Díez. The law governing Spain’s security forces already restricts police leadership’s access to judicial investigations, requiring agents to report only to the presiding judge. González and Llamas are being investigated over whether internal inquiries were used to pressure officers or discourage further work on politically damaging cases.
Díez has rejected the allegations and challenged the UCO’s account. In comments reported by Spanish media, she described the UCO report as containing “a lot of false claims” and said a National Police report contradicted them. She also denied that González had warned her about a UCO investigation, declined to elaborate on their meetings and said she did not know Llamas. Her denials stand alongside the allegations and evidence being examined in court.
Alongside its requests concerning current and former Guardia Civil leaders, the PP has asked the court to expand the investigation to include Vicente Fernández, former president of SEPI; the former president of Correos and ex-chief of staff to Sánchez; and two other Correos officials. The party alleges that these individuals helped create a tailor-made position for Díez at the public postal service, drawing parallels with a previous case in Badajoz involving the prime minister’s brother. The inquiry also includes claims about efforts to discredit or sideline Judge Beatriz Biedma, whose work was connected to the investigation involving David Sánchez. UCO material reportedly referred to her as the “judge in Badajoz.”
Investigators are also tracing financial links involving Díez and companies that billed the PSOE. Onda Cero reported that she received €43,225 through two companies that also invoiced the party. The PSOE has invoked professional secrecy while contesting or seeking more time to provide documentation requested by Judge Pedraz. These financial inquiries are part of the broader investigation into whether consultancy or intermediary arrangements were used to influence sensitive corruption probes.
The UCO, a specialized unit within the Guardia Civil, plays a basic role in high-profile corruption and economic crime cases. The dispute has renewed scrutiny of the relationship between political leadership and law enforcement in Spain, where several high-profile cases in recent years have prompted calls for greater transparency and safeguards against interference. The proceedings raise questions about how judicial authorities can balance institutional stability with impartial investigations when senior officials are under suspicion.
