The director of the Civil Guard assures that she cut off the relationship with Leire Díez after the second meeting

BarcelonaThe director of the Civil Guard, Mercedes González, met with Leire Díez, the main suspect in the latest judicial case affecting the PSOE, even though until now both she and the Spanish government had denied it both in writing – in response to parliamentary questions from the PP – and orally: last week the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, reiterated it, stating that "the director of the Civil Guard has not had any meeting with anyone [...] Not with Leire nor with anyone else". This account changed this Thursday, once the summary of the case being investigated by the National High Court became known. In a statement this Thursday evening, the Civil Guard itself acknowledges at least two meetings —it does not rule out a third— and assures that González cut off the relationship as soon as Díez asked her to reinstate Commander Rubén Villalba, who was removed from the force for being involved in a judicial proceeding.

The statement offers the version of the director of the Civil Guard. It explains that she met Díez during her time as government delegate in Madrid, when she was director of Institutional Relations at Correos. "This relationship only involved WhatsApp exchanges, related to the labor mobilizations in which the company was involved, which led to demonstrations and gatherings". "Never" in this initial stage did they meet in person. González explains that when she was appointed director of the Civil Guard in September 2024, Leire Díez contacted her for an initial meeting at a cafeteria near the Directorate General of the Civil Guard (the UCO places her precisely in that September). The plumber To the summary of the case being investigated by the National CourtA few months later, Díez contacted González again, according to the version of the director of the Civil Guard, but the appointment was canceled due to a family problem. It was resumed, however, after some time (the UCO mentions April 2025). It was in this second meeting —although González does not rule out that they might have met in between on another occasion— that Díez raised the issue "if there would be any possibility for Commander Villalba to return to his post". According to González, she rejected the request and the meeting was considered over "immediately".

In the summary of the case being investigated by the National Court, three meetings are detailed and there are messages in which Díez highlights the good relationship he has with González. According to the annexes of the summary, the former socialist militant was fined for parking incorrectly during one of her visits to González on December 20, 2024. The fine was received by the former president of SEPI (Societat Estatal de Participacions Industrials, the state's investment arm, and where Díez worked), Vicente Fernández, who forwarded it to Díez with the following message: "I have received this parking ticket of yours [...] I think it's from when you went to meet the Director General of the GC. I'll pay it for you at a discount".

Marlaska on Thursday made a strong defense of the Director of the Civil Guard. "What I know is her exemplary conduct at all times and her full honesty," he stressed in statements to the media, adding that González's "loyalty to legality" is guaranteed.

Beyond the three alleged meetings – the last one in April 2025 – the UCO has intercepted WhatsApp conversations that would point to a relationship of trust between the two. "My next conversation will be with the Director of the Civil Guard [...], she is trustworthy" or "I have to speak with Mercedes. There is no trust with Marlaska. I'll call her today," are some of the messages from the former socialist militant in her conversations with third parties. Investigators believe she would have used this channel for her mission to dismantle cases affecting the PSOE environment and the Spanish government. "Remember I am friends with the DG of the GC," she even said in a communication with the former president of SEPI.

In his statements to the media, Marlaska wanted to clarify that he personally had no knowledge of "any action that could have been aimed at undermining the work of the UCO," from where various cases affecting the socialists have been investigated. The summary indicates that Díez, along with former leader Santos Cerdán, formed a group to try to dismantle these cases and "protect the interests" of the socialists and Pedro Sánchez and his government. The minister assured that if he had known about these maneuvers, he would not have "tolerated" them.

After once again stating the defense of the "neutrality and professionalism" of the Civil Guard, he recalled that, when the first details of the alleged plot emerged a year ago, both he and the director of the armed institute conveyed their "absolute support" to the UCO commanders and ended up guaranteeing that all police units work by court order with "absolute independence". The PP has already requested the dismissal of both Marlaska and González.

The UCO enters Tubos Reunidos and SEPI

In parallel, the proceedings linked to the alleged plot that stains the PSOE continue. The UCO entered the company Tubos Reunidos in Bilbao and its factory in Amurrio this Thursday, as well as the SEPI headquarters in Madrid. As the ARA has been able to confirm, the agents made information requests there by order of the National High Court judge Santiago Pedraz, who is investigating the Leire case.

A few days ago, the judge partially lifted the secrecy of the summary of this case, although he kept a separate piece under reserve. It is within the framework of this branch of the case that the UCO is carrying out the proceedings this Thursday. The company Tubos Reunidos, however, is mentioned several times in the summary, which indicates that it would have received favorable treatment from the administration and at least one state loan of 112.8 million euros. While awaiting pronouncements from this industrial group, SEPI sources have reiterated to the Efe agency their "maximum collaboration with justice".

The UCO also asked Judge Pedraz this Thursday to request from different banks the movements that have occurred in the PSOE's accounts from 2024 to the present.