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Three individuals are wanted in connection with the murder of two leaders of a group of ultra-Argentine supporters, who were shot dead on Saturday in front of the stadium of Rosario Central, a club based in the north of the country, local authorities announced Monday.
Andrés “Pillin” Bracamonte, 53, the historic leader of the “barrabrava” of Rosario Central, and his main collaborator Daniel “Rana” Atardo, 55, were in a vehicle when “at least three individuals” on foot opened fire on them, said Alejandro Ferlazzo, the prosecutor of Santa Fe province, to which Rosario belongs, located 300 kilometers north of Buenos Aires.
Each individual was hit by five bullets after the match Rosario Central lost at home to San Lorenzo in Argentina’s top flight.
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“Many eyewitnesses are present,” said Mr. Ferlazzo, calling for collaboration with justice while “guaranteeing the greatest discretion and security.”
The “barrabravas” are mafia-type organizations linked to several of the country’s main football clubs.
Mr. Ferlazzo expressed regret that Rosario Central “lacks video recordings” due to a power outage that occurred at the time of the attack, which the attackers took advantage of, although he did not rule out other hypotheses.
“We want to proceed cautiously and get answers as quickly as possible,” said acting regional prosecutor Matias Merlo, amid fears of reprisals between rival gangs in a city under the influence of drug traffickers.
Bracamonte had been banned from attending Rosario matches due to his history of violence and had led the Rosario Central ultra supporters group for more than 25 years.
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“He had been the target of 29 assassination attempts,” said Pablo Cococcioni, Minister of Justice and Security of Santa Fe province at the same press conference.
Generally attributed to internal settling of scores within the “barrabrava”, previous episodes “go beyond the simple management problems of Rosario Central supporters and extend to various illicit activities,” underlined prosecutor Merlo.
Andrés “Pillin” Bracamonte had been involved in various cases of extortion, organized crime and money laundering, he recalled.
Rosario (1.2 million inhabitants), the country’s third largest city, has had the highest homicide rates in Argentina over the past decade, but since the start of this year, the number of murders was reduced by half. Threats against footballers Angel Di Maria or members of Lionel Messi’s family, renowned figures in the country, had placed the city under the gaze of the media.
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