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Source: https://www.ynetnews.com/magazine/article/hkcvmtg5wx
How Israel's Mossad Brought the Nazi "Butcher of Riga" to Justice
(Ynet News) Oded Kramer - Herberts Cukurs, a Latvian pilot who joined Nazi forces during World War II, became one of the most notorious Holocaust perpetrators in Eastern Europe. Responsible for the murder of tens of thousands of Jews, he earned the nickname "the Butcher of Riga" because of his extreme brutality. In 1965, Mossad agents tracked him down in Montevideo, Uruguay. Before the war, Cukurs was known in Latvia as a pioneering aviator, who was dismissed from the Latvian Air Force because of disciplinary issues. In 1940, Latvia lost its independence when it was annexed by the Soviet Union. A year later, Nazi Germany invaded the country. Cukurs joined the Arajs Commando, a Latvian unit operating under Nazi SS command. According to survivor testimony and Latvian witnesses, Cukurs played a central role in mass killings in the Riga Ghetto and in the Rumbula forest massacre, where about 25,000 Jews were murdered. He was known for riding through the streets of Riga on horseback, randomly shooting Jews. Witnesses said he took pleasure in burning synagogues with worshippers inside and throwing Jewish children from rooftops before shooting them. He was directly responsible for the murder of 13,000 Jews and oversaw the killing of 30,000 more. When Soviet forces recaptured Latvia, Cukurs escaped to Brazil. Latvian Holocaust survivors recognized him and began pursuing him. West Germany requested his extradition, but because he had never been a German citizen, the request was rejected. After being attacked by Jewish activists in Rio de Janeiro, he moved with his family to a fortified neighborhood in Sao Paulo. The Mossad decided the assassination could not take place in Brazil. Israeli officials feared backlash against the local Jewish community and the possibility that captured agents could face the death penalty. So an agent posing as an Austrian businessman convinced Cukurs to meet in Montevideo to discuss new investment opportunities. After he was killed, the team placed Cukurs' body inside a crate and attached a document listing the crimes he had committed. The message was signed: "Those Who Will Never Forget."