MADRID \u2013 Once a little-known elite unit, the Spanish Civil Guard\u2019s Central Operational Unit (UCO) has become an unexpected protagonist in Spain\u2019s latest political crises, as its corruption probes increasingly touch the inner circle of Prime Minister Pedro S\u00e1nchez.<\/p>\n
This week, controversy erupted after it emerged that the Interior Ministry had promoted<\/a> Colonel Rafael Yuste, UCO\u2019s widely respected chief, effectively removing him from several high-profile investigations \u2013 including the so-called \u201cKoldo case,\u201d a kickback-for-contracts scandal<\/a> that has engulfed S\u00e1nchez\u2019s Socialist Party (PSOE).<\/p>\n Local reports quickly suggested<\/a> the move was a speedy promotion designed to place someone \u201cmore susceptible to pressure\u201d at the helm. Civil Guard sources insist the promotion followed \u201cnormal procedures and timelines,\u201d but the episode underscores how intensely scrutinised every shift inside UCO has become in the country.<\/p>\n What is UCO?<\/strong><\/p>\n UCO operates within the Civil Guard\u2019s Judicial Police Command and works exclusively under judicial orders. The Civil Guard \u2013 a militarised force of 87,000 agents \u2013 is one of Spain\u2019s two national police bodies alongside the National Police.<\/p>\n Created in 1987 to combat organised crime, UCO has since evolved into one of Spain\u2019s most prestigious investigative units, specialising in corruption, organised crime, drug and human trafficking, and cybercrime.<\/p>\n To prevent leaks, assignments are tightly restricted: even senior commanders are not informed of ongoing developments from specific cases entrusted to one of UCO\u2019s roughly 600 investigators. Finished reports go directly to judges and prosecutors.<\/p>\n However, the unit is suddenly receiving more attention than usual, having been\u00a0thrust into the political spotlight due to its investigations into S\u00e1nchez\u2019s wife<\/a> and brother<\/a> \u2013 both facing separate court proceedings \u2013 and a National Court probe into<\/a> the PSOE\u2019s financing. Combined with the explosive \u201cKoldo case,\u201d UCO\u2019s work has become central to several scandals shaking Spanish politics.<\/p>\n Under the spotlight<\/strong><\/p>\n UCO\u2019s reports, when leaked, routinely send shockwaves through Madrid, with ministers, MPs, and major business figures appearing in their pages.<\/p>\n \u201cThe media attention is excessive. There is no precedent for this,\u201d said Domingo Medina, secretary of the\u00a0Spanish Association of Civil Guards (AECG).<\/p>\n Historically, UCO led probes such as the G\u00fcrtel case, the corruption scandal that toppled<\/a> Mariano Rajoy\u2019s Popular Party (PP) government in 2018. But some agents now warn of mounting attempts to interfere with their work.<\/p>\n Never before have media outlets, political parties or organisations \u201cput so much energy on discrediting the unit,\u201d an agent told Euractiv. The logic follows that \u201cif I manage to create a climate of discredit for the police unit, by extension I discredit its investigations,\u201d they added.<\/p>\n \u201cAny attempt to influence or dismantle its work is a direct attack on the heart of the rule of law,\u201d said Daniel Fern\u00e1ndez, spokesperson for the Independent Civil Guard Association (IGC).<\/p>\n