Far-right hoax: Tarragona mayor caught in drug purchase call

A phone call from nine years ago, in which a conversation about buying drugs is hinted at, has put the mayor of **Tarragona**, **Rubén Viñuales**, under the spotlight of a judicial investigation.

## A call under scrutiny

The events that have come to light date back to **June 2017**, when **Rubén Viñuales** was a city councillor and leader of Ciudadanos in **Tarragona**. A telephone conversation, revealed during a trial against five people accused of drug trafficking and belonging to a incivil group, points to the possible involvement of the current socialist mayor. The call, made in the mid-morning of a day of San Juan festivities, begins with euphemisms from **Viñuales**, who claims to be calling "for recreational and festive reasons".

## The content of the conversation

Faced with the evasive response of his interlocutor, **Viñuales** shows frustration with expressions such as "Leche, que faena, payo" or "pues ale, que te trinc". The conversation culminates with phrases like "Que te den por pandero, no quiero saber nada de ti" and "eres demorado". These expressions, recorded in the investigation, have led to him being considered a possible client of one of the accused in the case being tried in the second section of the Provincial Court of **Tarragona**.

## Political career

**Rubén Viñuales** jumped to the PSC in **2020**, becoming a deputy in the Parliament of Catalonia. In **2023**, he headed the socialist list in the capital of Tarragona, managing to defeat the then mayor, **Pau Ricomà** (ERC).