Several dozen Civil Guard information officers have been mobilised to deploy to Catalonia ahead of the Supreme Court's sentences against the twelve pro-independence leaders over the events of 2017 and the potential it has to spark protests.
The news was first reported this Monday by El Confidencial Digital, which cites sources from within the gendarmerie. They say that the reinforcement operation is already underway, with officers specialised in "fieldwork" being sent to Catalonia with orders to investigate any possible crime, "institutional [crimes] in particular". They are also to "monitor radical pro-independence groups".
The newspaper says the new operation is far smaller than the one in 2017 ahead of the referendum. They admit two years ago they conducted "tasks of following and surveillance" against leaders from civil society and public bodies involved in that vote.