Hitmen, the business of killing

Although the word assassin has been used for thousands of years, today when we speak of them refers, neither more nor less than the murderers hired or on request. They are generally professional gunmen acting as mercenaries, offering their services to the highest bidder. In Latin America into full-blown gangs, including vigilante groups are part of strong importance.

A notable attempt to murder for hire occurred June 17, 1999 in Madrid, Laura Fernandez Navarro, who was then wife of the controversial lawyer Emilio Rodriguez Menendez, contacted Ignacio Rocha, band member of 'Casper', to end her husband's life.

When the lawyer's mercedes was coming to the garage door of the house, Kawasaki ZZR600 motorcycle approached the right side of the car and the man riding package drew a revolver and shot at Rodríguez Menéndez, hitting him in the lung. After hitting several cars and two trees started, the chauffeur and bodyguard, Daniel Ruiz Maristany, drew a pistol and shot eight times at the fleeing motorists, injuring the occupant who was behind it.

The gunmen, as any murderer for hire, run all sorts of jobs related to the crime, his interests are purely economic, therefore providing professional services to anyone who wants them. Do the killings come to an authentic way of life, becoming a highly paid profession. Many times, this practice is carried out by questions of loyalty, with the same boss or employer, but do not hesitate to take another job as an "overtime".

In some cases, the killers often have had prior training. Many are former police or military forces from Eastern or Latin America.

Hence his great skill to execute custom crimes without a trace, since they know exactly what they have to do and how. In other cases, youths often are inexperienced in the practice of killings an easy way to survive.

The most frequent killers are played by the murders of prominent persons such as employers, government figures, members of a rival mafia group or simply an enemy of the customer. "The gunman kill and go," a senior police described in an article published in the newspaper La Razon, even coming from other countries to commit the crime and quickly return. Also placed bombs, cause accidents or act in defense of a target.

Generally, work in two ways gunmen clearly identifiable.

- In public, ie eliminating the stated goal no matter what other people are around, presenting the incident as a simple act of terrorism or even an assault.

- Or in a "clean" without witnesses who commit (or eliminating those who could also see the crime), quickly and effectively. Also commonly called as "disguised" when the criminal act is forced to look like an accident, suicide or death in unusual circumstances.

These mercenaries prefer to act alone, since it is a job that carries many dangers. Even contact with those who need their services is very punctual and usually performed by other members of the organization, not face to face to reach the executor and the contractor hired assassin, a way to avoid future problems.

Modus operandi of the killer in Spain

The modus operandi of the assassins in Spain is very simple, the client contacts a member of the criminal organization, the member in turn hires a hit man to travel South America to Spain to do the job. The latter, in the moment of arrival in Spain, is hidden in a safe house until the time comes to execute the action after the job returns to his country while waiting for another job.

Also varies greatly depending on the amount that will target. A prominent businessman, a person related to the government or a mob boss, they report a much greater economic benefit than the end of a person without notoriety. Even so, there's always willing to make killers such work "minor."

According to police, the gunmen are not a real problem in Spain. But the figures indicate that this class of murderers have committed between 5 and 10 percent of violent deaths in Spanish territory in recent years and are not usually detained. Numbers, however, very different from those reflected in Latin America. In Africa, the gunmen when they choose to work in groups, are real armies.

It is no coincidence that the increased presence of hired murderers are of key countries related to drug trafficking. The Colombian assassins, many of them serving the drug clans are famous and are often hired from other countries to carry out orders. In Mexico, gunmen of the states bordering the United States are real and are feared criminal organizations impose their own laws in their respective territories. In Paraguay, a major global suppliers of marijuana, often mercenaries Brazilian national-work defending cannabis plantations. Meanwhile, in Brazil, and armed forces are able to cope with any law enforcement.

Etymological origin

The origin of the word "assassin" dates from the Roman occupation of Palestine. The Jewish sect of the "assassins? also known as "Zealots? were the first to use during the Roman occupation of Palestine, if carii was the person who hid a dagger called "music? in his clothes and stabbed the Romans or sympathizers of them during public meetings. Although it is known, this term has persisted over time and today has a different meaning, which is to denote hired murderers, mere mercenaries, which may act alone or in groups managed to sow fear among their enemies .

By Carlos Cabezas López

Cold Case

References:

Gunmen: the story behind the business of charging to kill. "June 1, 2007. Grupo Clarín. June 2, 2007.

Constenlla, Jimmy. "Murderers for hire." News and national and international. June 1, 2007. The Nation. June 2, 2007.

M., R. "Police believe the assassins are not a serious problem and are" assumable. "" Reason (2005):