Feature - Romantic or sexual relationship: (16)

María Victoria Canillas Sánchez (Mavi)

2022–2023

María Victoria Canillas Sánchez infiltrated groups in Madrid, including social centers and the local branch of the environmentalist group Extinction Rebellion. She first infiltrated a gym in a social center before moving on to other groups. She attended meetings. She had a sexual relationship with one of her targets.

She was identified partly because:

- She seemed at ease with contact sports despite claiming she had never practiced any.
- She had a very flattering attitude towards people, and she changed her opinion depending on who she spoke to.
- Pictures of her under her assumed identity matched pictures of her under her real identity. The latter included pictures found on social media.

Sources: (ca) directa.cat ; (es) elsaltodiario.com ; (es) elsaltodiario.com
Origin
Police
Features
3 years or less, Romantic or sexual relationship
Country
Spain
Last updated
January 15, 2026

Daniel Hermoso Pérez (Dani, Daniel Hernàndez Pons)

2020–2023

Daniel Hermoso Pérez infiltrated groups in Catalonia, including the social center La Cinètika in Barcelona. He first infiltrated a gym in La Cinètika before moving on to other groups. He attended demonstrations and participated in civil disobedience actions. He had sexual or romantic relationships with at least eight people and used those relationships to gain access to activist spaces.

Sources: (ca) dbalears.cat ; (ca) directa.cat ; (es) lasrepublicas.com
Origin
Police
Features
3 years or less, Romantic or sexual relationship
Country
Spain
Last updated
January 15, 2026

Maria Isern Torres (Maria Perelló Amengual)

2020–2023

Maria Isern Torres infiltrated groups in Girona, including pro-independence groups. She attended demonstrations and meetings. She had an official ID card under her fake name. She was in a sexual and romantic relationship with one of her targets, O., for several years. She lived with O. for a year and, on one occasion, brought him to her real family home to meet her real mother, who was complicit in the deception.

Sources: (ca) dbalears.cat ; (ca) dbalears.cat ; (ca) directa.cat ; (ca) directa.cat
Origin
Police
Features
3 years or less, Romantic or sexual relationship
Country
Spain
Last updated
January 15, 2026

Sergio Gigirey Amado (Sergio Botana)

2015–2021

Sergio Gigirey Amado infiltrated groups in Madrid, including the antifascist group Distrito 14, and the Movimiento Antirrepresivo de Madrid (Madrid Anti-Repression Movement). He first infiltrated a food bank before moving on to other groups. He attended meetings and participated in civil disobedience actions. On some occasions, he and another infiltrator, Carlos Pérez Moreno, participated in the same actions. He shared an apartment with some of his targets and was in a romantic and sexual relationship with one of his targets for several years.

He was identified partly because:

- Pictures of him under his assumed identity matched pictures of him under his real identity. The latter included a video from his police graduation ceremony and a picture from a race for which he registered under his real name.
- An employer for whom he claimed to work denied employing him.

Sources: (ca) directa.cat ; (es) elsaltodiario.com ; (es) elsaltodiario.com ; (fr) secoursrouge.org
Origin
Police
Features
4 to 6 years, Romantic or sexual relationship
Country
Spain
Last updated
January 15, 2026

Heath Harmon

2016

Heath Harmon infiltrated protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline. He worked for the FBI. He was recruited by the FBI after he contacted his brother, a police officer, and asked if he could help by infiltrating the protests. He participated in camps organized in opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline. He was in a romantic and sexual relationship with one of his targets.

Sources: (en) bsnorrell.blogspot.com ; (en) theintercept.com
Origin
Civilian
Features
3 years or less, Romantic or sexual relationship
Country
United States
Last updated
January 15, 2026

Maria Böhmichen (Maria Block)

2009–2012

Maria Böhmichen infiltrated anti-racist and anti-fascist groups in Hamburg. She also attended events and demonstrations in Belgium, Denmark, France, and Greece. She attended and helped organize events and demonstrations. She also attended social events in public places and private homes. She had sexual relationships with two of her targets.

Sources: (de) de.indymedia.org ; (de) web.archive.org
Origin
Police
Features
3 years or less, International, Romantic or sexual relationship
Country
Germany
Last updated
January 15, 2026

Mark Kennedy (Mark Stone, Flash)

2003–2010

Mark Kennedy infiltrated many environmentalist, anti-capitalist, and anarchist groups in the United Kingdom and abroad. He participated in demonstrations, actions, and other events in Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Ireland, Poland, Spain, and the United States. He worked for the police as part of the National Public Order Intelligence Unit. In 2010, he also worked for a security company. He first infiltrated a social center in Nottingham, United Kingdom, before moving on to other groups. He had credit cards, bank accounts, a passport, and a driver's license under his fake name. On one occasion, he introduced two people he claimed were his childhood friends to his roommates, and who were in fact likely other undercover police officers. On one occasion, he used a modified watch to record his targets' conversations. He had many romantic and sexual relationships with his targets, including one that lasted six years.

His targets were unaware that he was married and had children under his real identity. He was identified because:

- One day, his long-term partner found his real passport under the name “Mark Kennedy,” as well as emails indicating that he had children.
- His long-term partner and other activists then found evidence of his real identity:
  - Electoral records for his birth year did not include an entry for “Mark Stone” but did include an entry for a “Mark Kennedy” who was married.
  - A genealogy website included an entry for a “Mark John Kennedy” who was listed as being married and having children.
  - The birth certificate of the son of “Mark Kennedy” listed the father's occupation as police officer.
  - The birth certificate of “Mark Kennedy” listed the father's occupation as police officer, despite his claims that his father was an accountant.
  - The marriage certificate of “Mark Kennedy” listed his occupation as police officer.
- When confronted with evidence, he admitted to being an infiltrator.

Sources: (en) indymedia.org.uk ; (en) powerbase.info ; (en) Undercover: The True Story of Britain's Secret Police (2012)
Origins
Corporate, Police
Features
7 years or more, International, Romantic or sexual relationship
Country
United Kingdom
Last updated
January 15, 2026

Unknown name (Danielle Durand, Dani)

2007–2008

“Danielle Durand” infiltrated animal rights groups in Austria, including Verein gegen Tierfabriken (VGT, Association Against Factory Farming). She also attended events in the Netherlands and Switzerland. She attended meetings, demonstrations, and other events, and participated in civil disobedience actions. She formed friendships with her targets. On one occasion, she took two water bottles used by activists and gave them to the police so that they could collect the activists' DNA on the bottles. She had a sexual relationship with one of her targets. Her infiltration contributed to the prosecution of 13 activists, though they were all ultimately acquitted.

Sources: (de) derstandard.at ; (de) diepresse.com ; (de) kurier.at ; (de) tagblatt-wienerzeitung.at ; (de) tierschutzprozess.at ; (de) tierschutzprozess.at ; (de) tierschutzprozess.at ; (de) vienna.at
Origin
Police
Features
3 years or less, International, Romantic or sexual relationship
Country
Austria
Last updated
January 15, 2026

Rob Gilchrist

2003–2008

Rob Gilchrist infiltrated groups in New Zealand, including environmentalist, animal rights, and anti-war groups. He worked for the police. He attended hundreds of meetings, demonstrations and other events. On several occasions, he accused other activists of being infiltrators. He had romantic and sexual relationships with his targets, including one that lasted four years. He carried out the infiltration under his own name.

He was identified because:

- He asked his activist girlfriend to fix a problem with his computer.
- While trying to fix the computer, his girlfriend discovered that he had been sending suspicious emails containing information about activist groups.

Sources: (en) indymedia.org.uk ; (en) nickyhager.info ; (en) slackbastard.anarchobase.com
Origin
Civilian
Features
4 to 6 years, Romantic or sexual relationship
Country
New Zealand
Last updated
January 15, 2026

Unknown name (Rob Harrison, DJ Boogie Knights)

2004–2007

“Rob Harrison” infiltrated left-wing and anarchist groups in London, including social centers. He also attended a demonstration in Germany. He was part of the Special Demonstration Squad. He attended meetings and demonstrations and organized events. He had sexual relationships with one of his targets.

In 2018, a government inquiry into undercover police operations revealed that he had been an infiltrator.

Sources: (en) powerbase.info
Origin
Police
Features
3 years or less, International, Romantic or sexual relationship
Country
United Kingdom
Last updated
January 15, 2026

Carlo Soracchi (Carlo Neri)

2001–2006

Carlo Soracchi infiltrated a Trotskyist political party and anti-fascist groups in the United Kingdom. He also attended an event in Italy. He was part of the Special Demonstration Squad. He attended meetings and demonstrations. He had a passport under his fake name but no credit card. He had romantic and sexual relationships with two of his targets.

He was identified because:

- After several infiltrators were identified in the United Kingdom starting in 2011, activists realized he fit the profile of an infiltrator. In particular, no one had met his family, he tended to disappear for long periods of time, and he had completely vanished in 2006.
- Toward the end of his infiltration, he started a relationship with a woman who wasn't politically active. Activists discovered that a “Carlo Soracchi” had registered at the woman's address and found a document indicating that “Carlo Soracchi” was a police officer.
- During his infiltration, he showed an activist a photo album with pictures of his real family. Activists found these same pictures on social media associated with the name “Carlo Soracchi.”

Sources: (en) powerbase.info ; (en) Undercover: The True Story of Britain's Secret Police (2012)
Origin
Police
Features
4 to 6 years, International, Romantic or sexual relationship
Country
United Kingdom
Last updated
January 15, 2026

Iris Plate (Iris Schneider)

2000–2006

Iris Plate infiltrated left-wing and queer groups in Hamburg, including the social center Rote Flora. She attended and helped organize political events and demonstrations, and participated in social events. She had an official ID card under her fake name. She had romantic relationships with her targets.

Sources: (de) notrace.how
Origin
Police
Features
4 to 6 years, Romantic or sexual relationship
Country
Germany
Last updated
January 15, 2026

Edward Nicholas Gratwick (Radio Nick)

1995–2006

Edward Nicholas Gratwick infiltrated environmentalist and animal rights groups in the United Kingdom. He also attended a protest in the Czech Republic. He worked for the security company Verify. From 1995 to 2003, he worked on behalf of the police, and then he worked on behalf of private companies. He participated in and helped organize many demonstrations, events, and actions. On many occasions, the police seemingly disrupted or prevented actions based on information he provided. On one occasion, he accused another activist of being an infiltrator. He had a sexual relationship with one of his targets.

He was identified because:

- He exhibited suspicious behavior. For example, in 2003, he requested to be named as a defendant in a civil court case against activists, presumably to gain access to their legal strategy. This was considered suspicious because activists would not normally want to be named as defendants as this would expose them to fines or other negative consequences.
- In 2004 or 2005, an activist revealed that a “well-placed contact within the security industry” had claimed that Gratwick was an infiltrator working for the security company Verify.
- In 2015, an activist learned that, in 2002, former infiltrator Jim Boyling had claimed that Gratwick was an infiltrator.
- In 2016, a company was founded at the address where the security company Verify had been based. The company listed two directors: Gratwick and the son of the founders of Verify.
- In 2025, he was accused of child sexual offenses. During the trial, as part of his legal defense strategy, he admitted that he had been an infiltrator.

Sources: (en) spycopsresearch.info
Origins
Corporate, Police
Features
7 years or more, Romantic or sexual relationship
Country
United Kingdom
Last updated
January 15, 2026

James Thomson (James Straven)

1997–2002

James Thomson infiltrated animal rights groups in the United Kingdom, including the Croydon Hunt Saboteurs. He also attended a demonstration in the Netherlands. He was part of the Special Demonstration Squad. He attended demonstrations and participated in actions. He was in a romantic and sexual relationship with one of his targets.

In 2018, a government inquiry into undercover police operations revealed that he had been an infiltrator.

Sources: (en) powerbase.info ; (en) spycopsresearch.info
Origin
Police
Features
4 to 6 years, International, Romantic or sexual relationship
Country
United Kingdom
Last updated
January 15, 2026

Jim Boyling (Jim Sutton)

1995–2000

Jim Boyling infiltrated environmentalist groups in the United Kingdom, including the anti-globalization group Reclaim the Streets. He was part of the Special Demonstration Squad. He attended and helped organize demonstrations. On one occasion, he was arrested and prosecuted under his cover identity for his participation in a civil disobedience action (he was acquitted). He had sexual relationships with three of his targets.

Sources: (en) bbc.com ; (en) theguardian.com ; (en) Undercover: The True Story of Britain's Secret Police (2012)
Origin
Police
Features
4 to 6 years, Romantic or sexual relationship
Country
United Kingdom
Last updated
January 15, 2026

Mark Jenner (Mark Cassidy)

1994–2000

Mark Jenner infiltrated anti-fascist and other left-wing groups in the United Kingdom. He was part of the Special Demonstration Squad. He attended meetings and participated in demonstrations and actions. He was in a romantic and sexual relationship with one of his targets for five years and lived with her for four of those years.

Sources: (en) powerbase.info ; (en) theguardian.com ; (en) Undercover: The True Story of Britain's Secret Police (2012)
Origin
Police
Features
4 to 6 years, Romantic or sexual relationship
Country
United Kingdom
Last updated
January 15, 2026