A familiar face to the Civil Guard and the Royal Household: the Spanish government appoints a new director of the UCO

MadridThe Ministry of the Interior, through the Director General of the Civil Guard, has appointed Colonel Pedro Merino Castro as the new head of the Central Operational Unit (UCO) of the Civil Guard, replacing Colonel Rafael Yuste, according to reports. Eldiario.es And ARA has been able to confirm this through ministry sources.

Yuste was promoted to brigadier general on December 1st, and at the time, sources from the Ministry of the Interior justified the promotion as part of "normal internal promotion procedures." This change, however, comes at a time marked by various open operations within the UCO (Central Operative Unit) for alleged corruption, which are putting pressure on Pedro Sánchez: from the Begoña Gómez case to the Koldo case—for which José Luis Ábalos is in prison and the former PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) organizational secretary, Santos Cerdán, is under investigation—or the corruption case involving them.

Until now, Merino Castro was head of the Salamanca Command, where he arrived in 2022, although he had previously worked at the UCO, making him a familiar face within this branch of the Civil Guard. He also served in the technical unit of the Civil Guard's Judicial Police. But one of his most significant career leaps came in 2013 when he joined the Royal Household. Merino Castro was appointed "aide-de-camp" to the Prince of Asturias, Felipe VI, and remained by his side after his proclamation as king until 2017, according to reports. The CountryFurthermore, he served as an advisor in the Spanish government's National Security department, a position he held during Mariano Rajoy's administration. Sources within the Civil Guard highlight his extensive training and various postings within the force, noting his "special experience in the Judicial Police," according to reports. Europa Press.

The relevance of the body

The UCO is the specialized unit that, among other things, is participating in the investigation of the legal cases that target Pedro Sánchez's inner circle, both those affecting the Spanish government and the PSOE. For example,prepared the reportwhich led to the indictment of Santos Cerdán oraccreditedthat the Attorney General deleted the messages from his mobile phone the day the Supreme Court indicted him. More recently, he has been at the center of a new report that again implicates former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos, imprisoned since November 27, as well as a series of searches and arrests as part of a secret case opened in the National Court linked to alleged irregularities in public procurement. Among those arrested in this latest legal case is former Socialist Party member Leire Díez, known as the plumber of the PSOE.

In fact, one of thekey figures of the UCOThe figure who has dominated media attention in recent months remains in the same position despite this reshuffling of positions. It is Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Balas, a subordinate of Rafael Yuste, who will continue to lead the Economic Crimes and Anti-Corruption Department. Balas is actually the one directing much of the activity related to the Spanish president's inner circle. His name appeared in one of Leire Díez's audio recordings, as part of the case opened in Madrid's Court Number 19, which is investigating his alleged covert maneuvers to try to dismantle the legal cases against Pedro Sánchez's associates. In a meeting between Díez and prosecutor Ignacio Stampa, the former Socialist Party member was heard asking for compromising information about Antonio Balas. This led to her beinginvestigated by a court in Madrid, along with businessman Javier Pérez Dolset and journalist Pere Rusiñol.