Marlaska faces congressional fury over guard deaths and 'Leire case' links as opposition demands resignation

A tragic collision at sea

The deaths of two Civil Guards on 8 May unfolded during what Interior Minister Fernando Grande‑Marlaska called "a routine operation against drug trafficking". Two patrol boats of the Huelva Maritime Service collided roughly 150 kilometres off the coast, causing fatalities and injuries. The collision, described as a "fierce impact", killed Germán, 55, and Jerónimo, 56, instantly or in transit to hospital; two other officers, Cristian and Vicente, were wounded. An investigation by the National Court and anti‑drug prosecutors is under way, with the minister insisting his department is working with "maximum diligence to clarify the facts and establish responsibilities".

A hostile parliamentary session

Appearing before Congress on Wednesday, Grande‑Marlaska faced a barrage of criticism not only over the operational failure but over his ministry's entanglement with the so‑called Leire case. PP deputy Ana Vázquez accused the minister of denying repeated meetings between Guardia Civil director Mercedes González and former socialist militant Leire Díez, who is allegedly under investigation for a smear campaign against judges and prosecutors investigating the PSOE's entourage. Vázquez declared the minister "much worse than Leire", saying he had betrayed his past as a judge and should resign. The minister retorted that the opposition was "instrumentalising the pain of victims" and devoted his speech to touting anti‑narcotics statistics rather than addressing the scandal.

A statistical defence

Marlaska pointed to data from his tenure since 2018: over 48 000 police operations, 31 000 arrests or investigations, 2.2 million kilograms of drugs seized, 3 000 firearms, €125 million in cash, 9 700 vehicles and 2.2 million litres of fuel impounded. He contrasted this with what he described as cuts under the previous PP government, accusing former minister Jorge Fernández Díaz of prioritising "covering up his party's corruption". PP spokesperson Vázquez shot back that overall crime had risen 15 % and sexual assaults 30 % under Pedro Sánchez, dismissing the numbers as hollow while families mourned.

The Leire case looms

The ghost of Leire Díez – the former party operative under investigation for allegedly orchestrating attacks on judicial investigations – stalked the session. Vázquez pressed the minister on whether he had informed Prime Minister Sánchez about the meetings between González and Díez, calling the director of the Guardia Civil an "enemy to neutralise". Marlaska avoided the topic, praising González's "extraordinary work" and condemning what he called the normalisation of "malicious use of others' grief". Vox also joined the fray, amplifying PP's calls for the minister to step down.

You are much worse than Leire. Leire was never a judge. Leire never fought crime. Leire never embodied regeneration; you did. Leire was the sewer from the start. You sold yourself to the sewer and the price you were willing to pay was to betray everything you once were. Stand up and leave, Mr Minister.

Mounting pressure

Five days after the incident, Marlaska was jeered at a flag‑swearing ceremony for new recruits in Baeza. The government later acknowledged it had erred by not sending top‑level representation to the agents' funeral. With Junts also demanding early elections and a separate scandal over a riot officer kicking a protesting teacher in Valencia, the minister's appearance became a flashpoint for broader discontent. The investigation into the Huelva collision is still in its early stages, but the political firestorm around Marlaska shows no sign of abating.