MADRID, Spain — Judge Santiago Pedraz of Spain’s National Court (Audiencia Nacional) has formally implicated former Civil Guard Director Leonardo Marcos in the ongoing investigation into the alleged “sewers” (clandestine dirty tricks operations) of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE). This judicial development places Marcos in the same procedural position as his successor, Mercedes González, regarding their suspected involvement in the case linked to former operative Leire Díez.
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According to a court order issued by Judge Pedraz, Marcos is required to appear before Central Investigating Court No. 5 on September 10 at 10:00 a.m. In the same ruling, the magistrate also summoned the Chief Prosecutor of Badajoz, José Luis Alonso Tejuca, to testify as a witness on the same date. This testimony relates to communications between a former deputy prosecutor of the Technical Secretariat of the Prosecutor’s Office and the Badajoz prosecutor regarding a complaint filed against Díez, who has been identified in judicial proceedings as an alleged “plumber” or dirty tricks operative for the PSOE. Judge Pedraz has formally requested that both the Badajoz Prosecutor’s Office and the State Prosecutor’s Office submit a complete copy of the file concerning this complaint, along with all related communications.
The primary basis for Judge Pedraz’s decision to name Marcos as a suspect stems from testimonial statements provided by an agent of the Civil Guard’s Central Operational Unit (UCO). The agent reported a meeting in which Marcos allegedly pressured his subordinates concerning an investigation into David Sánchez, the brother of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. According to the UCO report, the meeting was triggered by the unit’s request to obtain various emails as part of the now-concluded investigation into David Sánchez.
La Justicia imputa al exdirector de la Guardia Civil Leonardo Marcos por las maniobras para frenar las investigaciones de la UCO contra el Gobiernohttps://t.co/Yp3K45b9wn
— LA GACETA (@gaceta_es) July 29, 2026
During this meeting, Marcos reportedly criticized the agents, accusing them of making a “totally prospective and malicious” request. The agent testified that the former Civil Guard director claimed the credibility of both the UCO and the Civil Guard was “in the gutter,” and he insisted that any report produced by the unit be thoroughly analyzed to ensure it contained no damaging information. This meeting occurred on the same day the National Court judge had ordered the unit to access the PSOE headquarters, with the subsequent interrogations later being incorporated into the judicial case file.
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The working thesis shared by the UCO, the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, and Judge Pedraz is that Marcos, González, and Manuel Llamas, the Director of Analysis and Operations (DAO), allegedly collaborated with the PSOE’s clandestine networks. Their objective, according to the investigation, was to destabilize judicial proceedings that posed a threat to the party, the government, and the prime minister’s family circle. Specifically, they are accused of orchestrating attacks and exerting pressure on the UCO. In the case of Llamas, the investigating judge has implicated him based on the UCO’s own interpretation of the meeting as a deliberate attempt to paralyze the investigation targeting David Sánchez.
