Highlights
– Drug trafficking organizations in Madrid exposed after series of contract killings
– Reprisal shootings endanger nightclubs in Madrid
– Government vows to crackdown on organized crime; faces a tough challenge as Spain is Europe’s leading gateway for Latin American narcotics
A surge in contract killings has raised concerns for Spanish authorities on what may be the beginning of a bloody feud between two rival drug trafficking organizations in Madrid. The murder attracting the most media attention is that of Colombian drug lord and head of the Caqueta cartel, Leonidas Vargas, also known as “El Viejo” (the Old Man) on January 8, 2009. As Vargas was being treated for stomach problems at Madrid’s Hospital Universitario 12 De Octubre, a partially masked gunman walked into the room and fired four shots from a silenced pistol into Vargas. The gunman and his suspected accomplice calmly fled the scene as doctors attempted to revive Vargas.
Following Vargas’s death, reprisal shootings surged between rival crime outfits competing for prime drug trafficking markets and nightclub security business. As a result, the slayings have prompted Spain’s Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba to officially declare fighting organized crime a top priority for the government.
Nevertheless, Spain is the most preferred route for drug traffickers pushing cocaine to European markets. Moreover, Colombian cartels commonly send traffickers and contract killers with valid passports and no criminal records to Spain, exacerbating the severity of the problem for authorities. Despite a new offensive by the Spanish government, stemming organized crime in Madrid will be a difficult and long-term challenge for Spanish authorities.
Shootings in Madrid
In recent weeks, a series of killings have surrounded the death of Vargas.
• Just a few days prior to the death of Vargas, a prominent lawyer who specializes in drug trafficking cases was gunned down at his Madrid home.
• Two days after Vargas was killed, an unidentified gunman shot and killed a Bulgarian bouncer at the Madrid “Heaven” nightclub and another bouncer at a nearby nightclub. Authorities report that later that night, a Colombian man was seriously injured after being shot at another nearby nightclub, the “Fala Fala”.
• Back in Colombia just days after Vargas was killed, police discovered the bodies of Fabio Vargas, Leonidas’ brother, and Liliana Andrea Lozano, a former beauty queen and television host. Their bodies were discovered near Palmira, Valle del Cauca, in southeast Colombia.
The killings underscore what may be two rival criminal networks engaged in retaliatory attacks. On the other hand, the killings may be an attempt by former partners of Vargas’ to acquire his business, as he was an important contact for drug traffickers with access to the European drug market.
• Vargas was arrested on trafficking charges and was placed under house arrest in 2006. With Vargas’ trial scheduled to begin in July 2009, police suspect that Vargas’ trafficking partners including Colombian drug lord Daniel “El Loco” Barrera and Pedro Oliverio Guerrero “Cuchillo” may be behind the slayings for fear of being implicated at the upcoming trial.
An Uphill Battle
Spanish police recently busted a drug and money laundering operation in Murcia, southeast of Madrid, where five of nine suspects were Colombian (Source). All of the suspects are linked to a top Colombian drug lord who is suspected of owning several bars and restaurants in the southern Murcia region. During the operation, police seized 400,000 euros in cash and another 300,000 euros in bank accounts. Despite the recent success, cracking down on drug trafficking and front organizations for crime outfits will prove to a long-term challenge for the government.
Furthermore, preventing contract killings will be difficult in the near-term. According to police, contract killings make up roughly 10 percent of homicides in Spain (Source). Most contract killings are settlements between criminals who typically hire former members of Colombian paramilitary groups, Spanish criminals or former eastern European police officers. However, there are increasing reports of ordinary citizens resorting to such methods to rid themselves of spouses or siblings in various financial disputes including divorce or inheritance.
Reprisal shootings targeting various cartel members involved in nightclub security in Madrid are unlikely to slow in the near-term, making Madrid’s nightclubs potentially dangerous location for tourists or expatriates working in Spain. However, as Spanish authorities conduct anti-narcotic investigations on the feuding groups’ illicit activities, arrests are expected in the mid-term.