Guatemalan investigators have linked the July murder of Argentine singer and songwriter Facundo Cabral to a band of professional hitmen that are among the country’s most wanted criminals.
According to Guatemala’s Prensa Libre, public prosecutors in the country say that at least eight men were involved in the assassination ring. The group’s leader has been identified as Juan Hernandez Sanchez, a former sergeant who served in the presidential bodyguard from 1987 to 1991 before being discharged.
The group has reportedly worked for years in the province of Escuintla, offering their services for about 50,000 quetzales (around $6,000) per victim. In the case of Cabral’s death, the intended target was Nicaraguan Henry Fariñas, a wealthy club owner who had contracted the singer to perform at a personal event.
Although Hernandez and all but one of his men have been arrested, prosecutors have not identified those who ordered the hit, although they said the masterminds are thought to be members of a local organized crime syndicate.