Replacement in the Civil Guard with a strong institutional burden
Valencia Plaza says that the appointment of the new president of Civil Guard In the Valencian Community, it was formalized at an event held in Valencia and chaired by the Director General of the Authority. The presence of civil authorities and government representatives has reinforced the strategic nature of this relief in the autonomous region, where the armed institute is responsible for the security of citizens in the majority of the territory. To determine the importance of this operational structure, you can review the official information of the Ministry of Interior available on the Ministry’s institutional page.
The appointment comes after a period marked by emergency operations, logistical reconstruction measures and increased specialist work in areas such as cybercrime. The central administration stressed that the new command assumes an expanded structure, with more than 7,600 soldiers deployed in an area of 21,000 square kilometers, and 515 municipalities under its responsibility.
A profile of the new president and his two-decade career in the region
Brigadier General José Antonio Fernández de Luz, originally from Villarbardo (Cuenca), has nearly forty years of service. Its relationship with the Valencian Community extends over two decades, especially in key areas such as the traffic sector and the information department. From 2022 to 2024, he managed the Valencia Command, a phase in which specialized teams were consolidated and preventive and operational analysis structures were strengthened.
His career includes destinations in Alava and Madrid, as well as responsibilities in research units and traffic areas of regional importance. The technical file, along with the knowledge of the Valencian Region, was one of the elements that the General Administration valued for his appointment as in charge of one of the regions with the greatest spread of force in the country.
Mandatory reference: the state of emergency that characterized the last stage
During this event, an episode was recovered that is still fresh in institutional memory: the damage inflicted in the province of Valencia in October 2024. The situation forced an extraordinary deployment of 5,200 agents specialized in rescue, citizen assistance, logistical security and coordination with local administrations. In the first hours, more than 30,000 humanitarian interventions were carried out, a number that rose to 43,000 in the following days.
The consequences of that incident were particularly severe, as two agents were killed and several barracks were affected by advancing water. The facilities of Autel, Bayporta, Alfavar, Chiva, Requena, Lombay, Benaguacil and Buñol suffered structural damage that forced the development of a reconstruction plan valued at more than seven million euros. Some of these barracks are already operational, while the barracks at Auteuil are awaiting a final project that includes the construction of a new building.
Impact on regional structure and new operational challenges
The Valencian Community constitutes one of the largest areas in which the Civil Guard undertakes almost all citizen security tasks. The Director-General stressed that this operational capacity contributed to a decrease in traditional crime rates by 3.2% during the first half of the year. Among the challenges of the new phase are strengthening rural surveillance, unifying technological units, and expanding digital surveillance mechanisms for citizens.
In this context, the implementation of electronic reporting has gained a crucial role. In just four months, more than 15,000 orders were registered, equivalent to a daily average of 119 complete formulations without the need for travel. The recorded volume even exceeds the total managed by some orders during the same period.
Gender violence, cybercrime and citizen security
The protection of victims of sexual violence was another topic highlighted during the ceremony. Currently, 7,830 women are actively monitored by the Authority in the Valencian Community. The plan aims to strengthen protocols, improve coordination with courts, and expand alert mechanisms to rural settings, where reliance on personal resources is greater.
With regard to cybercrime, the force has increased the specialization of its teams, especially in the field of digital fraud, identity theft, economic fraud and crimes related to e-commerce. The continued rise in these cases has spurred new investments in analysis systems, technical files, and ongoing training for deployed customers.
Something that assumes structure in transformation
Fernández de Luz takes command of the force as the Guardia Civil combines in-person operations with new digital care models. Autonomy, with a large tourist volume and an extensive communications network, requires comprehensive planning that combines road safety, research, prevention, proximity and rapid response to environmental emergencies.
The new president assumes this responsibility with a career that includes decorations such as the Grand Cross of the Royal and Military Order of San Hermenegildo and the Silver Cross of Merit of the Civil Guard. Its technical profile, coupled with its regional experience, reinforces expectations of continuity in the line of operations that the force has maintained in recent years.