Colonel Manuel Sánchez was born in Valladolid in 1963. Son and grandson of Guardia Civiles, he spent his entire childhood in the Basque Country, specifically in the Irún barracks (Guipúzcoa), until he entered the General Military Academy of Zaragoza. In 1987 he obtained his first destination as a lieutenant in the Vizcaya Information Service. He began a long career in the fight against terrorism of ETA for more than 25 years. In 2013 and with the terrorist band already defeated, he joined the Unidad Central Operativa (UCO), the Central Operating Unit. He has received, among other honors, the French Legion of Honor in 2015 and five Guarda Civil Merit crossings with a red badge.