Fernando Grande-Marlaska accused the local Catalan police, the Mossos d’Esquadra, of doing nothing to prevent pro-independence protesters blocking the main AP-7 toll road for 15 hours.
The pro-independence groups blocked a highway and broke toll machines on a day of national holiday which saw an increase in traffic volumes.
In an open letter, the minister wrote: “Serious disruptions of public order and traffic security, such as those seen in the last few days, need to be dealt with by the regional police.
“If this does not happen, the government will order an intervention by the state police.”
The involvement of national police would spark havoc in Catalonia, where up to half of the populations want to split away from Spain and they have they own law enforcement administration.
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Mr Grande-Marlaska said the local authorities needed to show they were able to keep order and prevent any repeat of the protests.
In a radio interview, he said: “It was observed that there was no intervention by the regional police, a reality that is difficult to deny.”
Spain’s new Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has said he would be open to a referendum and plans to come up with a proposal for parliament on Wednesday.
Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell said in Brussels: “It is not normal, in a modern and civilised country, that highways are cut for 15 hours because hundreds of people want to protest.”
Catalonia, as well as the northern Basque Country and Navarra, all have their own regional police force.
The rest of the country is governed by Spain’s National Police and Guardia Civil forces.
Prosecutors are still trying to get jail terms of up to 25 years for those in charge of rebellion and misuse of public funds over the failed secession bid.
The trial will begin in early 2019.