Shock in Argentina: two leaders of an ultra group of supporters shot dead. Police are tracking three suspects in this dark affair which exposes mafia connections in Argentine football. The prosecutor promises discretion and security to witnesses, fearing a vendetta between rival gangs in a city plagued by drug trafficking…
Argentina is in shock after the shooting of two leaders of an ultra group of supporters of the Rosario Central club, in the north of the country. Andrés “Pillin” Bracamonte, 53, historic leader of the “barrabrava”, and his main lieutenant Daniel “Rana” Atardo, 55, were targeted on Saturday leaving the stadium by at least three shooters who then fled .
Each of the victims was shot five times while they were in their vehicle after their team's defeat to San Lorenzo in the championship. A settling of scores within this powerful group of supporters, known for its mafia activities, is favored by investigators.
A complex investigation against a backdrop of drug trafficking
The prosecutor of the province of Santa Fe, Alejandro Ferlazzo, indicated during a press conference that there were “a lot of eyewitnesses”. He launched a call for collaboration with the justice system, promising “maximum discretion and security” to people who will provide their testimony.
But the investigation promises to be difficult in a city plagued by drug traffickers, where the fear of reprisals between rival gangs is strong. Especially since according to a source close to the investigation, the perpetrators of the shooting took advantage of a mysterious power outage that occurred at the time of the attack, which rendered the club's surveillance cameras inoperable.
A thesis which is not ruled out by prosecutor Ferlazzo, although he does not exclude “any other hypothesis” at this stage. His deputy Matias Merlo, for his part, calls for “being measured and obtaining answers as quickly as possible”, aware of the powder keg that this affair represents.
The dark side of Argentine football
This double murder highlights the mafia-like excesses of Argentine football and the power of the “barrabravas”, these ultra groups acting like real criminal organizations. Despite a stadium ban due to his violent history, Bracamonte ruled the stands of Rosario Central and its supporters for more than 25 years.
And this is not the first time he has been targeted. According to Pablo Cococcioni, provincial minister of Justice and Security, he had already “been the target of 29 attempted murders” in the past. Episodes generally linked to settling of scores within his “barrabrava”, which controls numerous traffics.
These incidents go beyond the management of Rosario Central supporters and spread to various illegal activities.Matias Merlo, Acting Regional Prosecutor
In fact, in addition to the violence in the stadiums, the ultra-deposed leader was involved in various cases of extortion, criminal conspiracy and money laundering, as prosecutor Merlo recalled. Activities symptomatic of the entrenchment of organized crime in the world of football.
Rosario, epicenter of mafia violence
With 1.2 million inhabitants, Rosario is the third city in Argentina but also the one with the most homicides over the last decade, against a backdrop of gang wars for control of drug trafficking. Although the number of murders has been halved since the start of the year, the city remains the epicenter of mafia violence in the country.
Threats targeting local figures such as footballer Angel Di Maria or relatives of Lionel Messi, natives of the city, have recently hit the headlines. The “barrabravas”, linked to criminal networks, contribute to maintaining this climate of terror. This new bloody news story exposes the murderous drift of the ultra-Argentine milieu.
But the investigation promises to be difficult in a city plagued by drug traffickers, where the fear of reprisals between rival gangs is strong. Especially since according to a source close to the investigation, the perpetrators of the shooting took advantage of a mysterious power outage that occurred at the time of the attack, which rendered the club's surveillance cameras inoperable.
A thesis which is not ruled out by prosecutor Ferlazzo, although he does not exclude “any other hypothesis” at this stage. His deputy Matias Merlo, for his part, calls for “being measured and obtaining answers as quickly as possible”, aware of the powder keg that this affair represents.
The dark side of Argentine football
This double murder highlights the mafia-like excesses of Argentine football and the power of the “barrabravas”, these ultra groups acting like real criminal organizations. Despite a stadium ban due to his violent history, Bracamonte ruled the stands of Rosario Central and its supporters for more than 25 years.
And this is not the first time he has been targeted. According to Pablo Cococcioni, provincial minister of Justice and Security, he had already “been the target of 29 attempted murders” in the past. Episodes generally linked to settling of scores within his “barrabrava”, which controls numerous traffics.
These incidents go beyond the management of Rosario Central supporters and spread to various illegal activities.Matias Merlo, Acting Regional Prosecutor
In fact, in addition to the violence in the stadiums, the ultra-deposed leader was involved in various cases of extortion, criminal conspiracy and money laundering, as prosecutor Merlo recalled. Activities symptomatic of the entrenchment of organized crime in the world of football.
Rosario, epicenter of mafia violence
With 1.2 million inhabitants, Rosario is the third city in Argentina but also the one with the most homicides over the last decade, against a backdrop of gang wars for control of drug trafficking. Although the number of murders has been halved since the start of the year, the city remains the epicenter of mafia violence in the country.
Threats targeting local figures such as footballer Angel Di Maria or relatives of Lionel Messi, natives of the city, have recently hit the headlines. The “barrabravas”, linked to criminal networks, contribute to maintaining this climate of terror. This new bloody news story exposes the murderous drift of the ultra-Argentine milieu.
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