Death squads flourishing again in Latin America.
But this is not the kind of terror the Bushies and neo-cons care about.
How long before we see this kind of thing in the USA?
Police break up assassin group in Brazil, 18 arrested
Xinhua
Fri, 13 Apr 2007 08:48 EDT
Brazils Federal Police Thursday arrested 18 people suspected of being involved in a contract killing gang accused of killing as many as 1,000 people in the past five years.
Police allege the gang, which is made up of police officers, hired guns and businessmen, took orders from local entrepreneurs, loan sharks and other people who wished to have someone killed. The group of assassins murdered between three and four people per week. They charged 500 dollars to 2,500 dollars for each of the 200 contract killings they made each year.
The gang is alleged to have operated mainly in the arid Agreste area of Pernabuco state, 1,900 kilometers northeast of the nation's capital, but also carried out killings in other states.
Retired and active Police officers were alleged to have participated in the contract killings. They were often hired by Brazilian merchants to eliminate street children and other "undesirables."
The investigation into the case started in February, and 10 other suspects are still sought by police. About 350 federal agents, apart from members of the Federal Police Tactic Operations Division, are involved in the operation to bust the assassin group. |
