Spanish police have arrested three people in connection with the shooting of a veteran Spanish politician in the face as he walked home from church earlier this month, but the perpetrator has not yet been found and more arrests may be made. .
Three people have been arrested in connection with the shooting death of Alejo Vidal-Cuadras, 78, a co-founder of Spain’s populist party Vox and a former member of parliament, the first detentions in connection with the attempted murder earlier this month. A woman and a man with British nationality were arrested in Granada, and a man with Spanish nationality was taken away by officers in Malaga, southern Spain, following a police raid early Tuesday morning.
spanish newspaper El Confidential As a police official said He said all three had been under observation for several days. Broadcasting station ABC stateHowever, none of the three people arrested so far are believed to be the shooters.
The attack occurred on November 9, when a gunman wearing a motorcycle helmet approached Vidal-Cuadras on the street as he was leaving Mass at a local church in an upscale Madrid neighborhood and shot him squarely in the face. No words were exchanged between the men, and no warning was given of the sudden attack. The suspect then ran onto a motorcycle driven by his accomplice, who was waiting nearby, and fled the scene, driving the wrong way on a one-way street.
Police previously said the attack had the hallmarks of a professional hitman.
Veteran populist lawmaker shot in the face by gunman fleeing on motorcycle https://t.co/7K64lqIqVD
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) November 9, 2023
Vidal-Cuadras himself apparently survived the shooting by pure chance, as the bullet did not enter his skull, but instead passed through his jaw and mouth before exiting his cheek. He was conscious and despite losing a lot of blood, he was able to walk to the ambulance. He underwent serious surgery in a Madrid hospital, is now recovering, and has spoken to police.
The arrests made today may be related to the owner of the motorcycle reportedly used in the getaway, which was found burnt out on the outskirts of Madrid shortly after.Although the destruction was incomplete, the VIN chassis number could be identified and the vehicle was Previously linked A murder suspect wanted by the Paris police.
The perpetrator himself is on the run, but may have already left the country. el pais report Surveillance cameras surrounding the shooting scene showed the suspected gunman scouting the scene for Vidal-Cuadras and Spanish digital tabloid OKDiario in the days leading up to the shooting. report Police have provided a detailed description of the man.
A Spanish digital tabloid quoted anonymous police sources as saying that officers had successfully analyzed the killer’s “features such as skin colour, eyes, hair, bone structure and facial features” He claimed that information led him to believe he was of North African descent.
The motive for the attack remains unclear, but police are already investigating various aspects of the attack. Trivial motives such as theft, personal relationships, or revenge seem to be excluded. Political violence by the left is also downplayed for the following reasons. it is claimedPolice have infiltrators in “all extremist groups” and would have known about it already if they were involved.
The terrorism angle is still under consideration, counterterrorism police are participating in the investigation, potential links to Morocco are being investigated, and a possible political assassination attempt by the Iranian regime has been widely reported. There is. So far, police have not made public any links between the arrestees and Iran, but as reported, Iran issued a cryptic statement in Spanish shortly after the shooting, stating that the terrorists were He warned that he would be judged.
Iran had previously labeled Vidal-Cuadras a “terrorist” and declared him subject to sanctions because of his long-standing involvement with Iranian rebels in exile.
Police investigate whether Iran ordered execution of Spanish populist shot in the face https://t.co/ehOhYXeEpl
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) November 10, 2023
