Guardia Civil links PSOE 'sewer' network to Pedro Sánchez, citing 'the one' codename and direct knowledge of operations

The 'one' and the 'superboss'

A report from the Guardia Civil's Central Operative Unit (UCO), dated 26 May and incorporated into the investigation by National Court Judge Santiago Pedraz, concludes that references to 'el one' in intercepted messages can only point to Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. The conclusion stems from a 13 January 2025 Signal message from former PSOE militant Leire Díez to Vicente Fernández, ex-president of the state industrial holding SEPI. She wrote that a priority was being handled 'by order of the one'. The UCO argues that, given the context of relaying orders to then-PSOE Organisation Secretary Santos Cerdán, 'the only person who by their position could be in a position to order something to Santos within the party' is the Prime Minister.

Other conversations analysed by the UCO show Díez telling Fernández that 'the one told S to tell me that I am doing an enormous job and not to get down'. In a 2021 exchange with the former SEPI director, she also referred to needing to speak with the 'superboss'. The UCO states that the content of the messages 'would evidence the knowledge on the part of the President of the Government of the activity that Leire Díez had been developing'.

Knowledge of the operation

Multiple witnesses and intercepted messages suggest Díez claimed Sánchez was aware of her actions. Former Guardia Civil commander Rubén Villalba testified that she 'indicates that she has access to the 'one of the party' and the 'one of the Government''. Businessman Joaquín Parra, charged in a separate case, stated that he asked her directly and she confirmed the president's knowledge. In a conversation with lawyer Ismael Oliver, formerly Koldo García's attorney, Oliver wrote: 'And tell the president and your boss to get their act together once and for all or they are going to screw up their lives'.

The UCO places the origin of the alleged operation in April 2024, following the indictment of Sánchez's wife, Begoña Gómez. The report links the timing to the Prime Minister's five-day period of reflection and his 'letter to the citizenry'.

Taking into account the person being referred to (Santos) and his organic position (at that time Organisation Secretary of the PSOE), the reference to the one is considered to only be able to be made to the President of the Government and General Secretary of the Party.

Contact with the Attorney General

UCO reports also point to a 'direct contact' between Leire Díez and a person she refers to as 'the FGE', which investigators believe corresponds to the then-Attorney General, Álvaro García Ortiz. In February 2025, Díez told the lawyer of retired commissioner José Manuel Villarejo: 'I'll tell you. The FGE is going to receive you. Now I'll tell you what he told me'. The alleged purpose was a promised agreement with the Prosecutor's Office, though the prosecutor on the case, César de Rivas, later denied any deal.

Another line of action involved the hydrocarbons sector. Between December 2024 and April 2025, the alleged network met with businessmen investigated for fuel fraud, offering benefits to be 'materialised through the Prosecutor's Office'. On 27 February 2025, Díez wrote to lawyer Jacobo Teijelo: 'We already have a free path for you and me to go see the FGE with this matter'. Messages from 3 March 2025 suggest a meeting was arranged at the Prosecutor's Office for 6 March.

Jacobo says I should go to all the Prosecutor's Office meetings because I complement the legal side well. If they now do quickly what they have said, things will precipitate.

Pressure on the Guardia Civil

According to the UCO, Leire Díez held at least three meetings with the Director General of the Guardia Civil, Mercedes González, between September 2024 and April 2025. The report states that Díez requested an 'internal investigation' against the UCO itself, which was activated in May 2025. Although González activated the deletion of her chat with Díez, messages were found on Leire's phone discussing their meetings.

Both González and Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska have denied any official meetings took place. Government sources confirmed encounters occurred but described them as personal in nature. The Interior Ministry stated on Wednesday that no reserved information was opened at the request of Leire Díez and reiterated its support for the UCO's professionalism.

Financing and party response

The investigation has uncovered alleged payment channels. A witness, Isabel Espinar, a founder of the media outlet Crónica Libre, provided an invoice for 18,125.50 euros dated 27 May 2024, with the concept 'PSOE European Elections 2024 campaign'. Judge Pedraz is also investigating possible financing through Salvador Illa's 2024 Catalan election campaign.

The UCO found that the PSOE paid at least 125,000 euros to Santos Cerdán's lawyer, Jacobo Teijelo, between November 2024 and June 2025, coinciding with Cerdán's indictment. The payments were allegedly processed through Leire Díez with 'the participation and connivance of Santos Cerdán', using 'mendacious invoicing'.

The PSOE has distanced itself from the operation. Organisation Secretary Rebeca Torró lamented the 'sum of individual behaviours of charlatans, opportunists and resentful people' who 'have used the PSOE's name in vain and falsely'. The party maintains that the three contracts appearing in the reports are 'formally legal' and that it 'already acted some time ago against several of the people mentioned in the proceedings', noting Cerdán's dismissal a year ago and Díez's resignation as a militant.

Let no one have any doubt about the honourability and transparency of the party and the values that its acronyms represent.