Exposure of a Spanish police officer’s infiltration of social movements in Barcelona

[This article was originally published in Catalan on 30 January 2023.]

A Spanish police officer – originally from Mallorca – infiltrated social movements in Barcelona for three years, as reported by La Directa.

Under the false identity of Daniel Hernández Pons – the initials, D. H. P., coincide with his real name – the mole began his activity in June 2020 when he first appeared at the occupied social center La Cinètika, in the Sant Andreu neighborhood. It should be noted that this kind of espionage can only be done under judicial protection in cases of terrorism, organized crime, and drug trafficking.

Although his arrival aroused suspicion, the agent gradually gained the trust of those being spied on. Especially following his aesthetic transformation: he sported a mohawk and hoop earrings, got a tattoo of the chaos star on his knee, and wore shirts with anti-fascist and anti-police messages. Likewise, as La Directa explains, he used sexual relationships with women to obtain information; he maintained a romantic relationship with two of these women.

D. H. P.’s infiltration began a year after graduating from the Spanish police academy in Ávila. In Sant Andreu, the agent lived on Carrer de la Flor de la Neu, very close to Avinguda Meridiana. As a result of his activity, he had access to homes, social centers, and Athenaeums, of which he even had the keys.

According to La Directa, the officer participated in protests against the imprisonment of musician Pablo Hasel – specifically, he was encircled in the controversial action of the Mossos on Carrer Gran de Gràcia; in evictions – he confronted a Desokupa squad and also clashed with Brimo agents; in a blockade by Meridiana Resisteix; in a protest against the eviction of the former Escola Massana; and in events at Can Masdeu, Can Batlló, la Kasa de la Muntanya, l’Ateneu l’Harmonia, la Comunal, and la Lokomotiva (in l’Hospitalet de Llobregat).

D. H. P. left Barcelona last October, supposedly going to Granada to participate in the olive harvest and then securing a “well-paid job” in Palma. However, the policeman remained active until last week on his Instagram accounts – @cow_tard and @tosabi.xd –, Telegram, and Whatsapp.

Second Infiltrator Uncovered

Last summer, La Directa also uncovered another Spanish police officer who had infiltrated movements of the pro-independence left and housing rights: the Sindicat d’Estudiants dels Països Catalans (SEPC), the Casal Popular Lina d’Òdena, and Resistim al Gòtic. The agent responded to the false identity of Marc Hernàndez Pon and pretended to be a Mallorcan – in fact, he was from Menorca – working as a waiter at a beach kiosk in Barcelona.

The officer, who responded to the initials I. J. E. G., studied criminology at the University of Girona and, after doing an internship with the municipal police, joined the Spanish police force. At the end of 2019 is when he received the false identity and the assignment to infiltrate the movements.

Last August, the Spanish court dismissed the complaints of Òmnium Cultural, Jovent Republicà, and SEPC and decided not to investigate the infiltration because, in its view, there were no indications of criminality. Likewise, the court also referred to a communication from the Spanish Ministry of the Interior, according to which all infiltrations “had already ceased.”

However, the case of D. H. P., who until recently was still active, demonstrates that the Spanish authorities were lying.