Revisiting Prior Unresolved Case Articles, Part 4

Main Suspect of Brutal Murder Apprehended in Spain

In the May issue of this blog I posted an article relating to what has been called a vicious murder conspiracy that took place in close proximity to the Everglades in Northwest Miami-Dade County in 2011.

The five men that were implicated in the attack that took the life of Camilo Salazar were all prominent in their own way by virtue of their professions or their business savvy. Based on the evidence found at the scene of the crime, Mr. Salazar was apparently intolerably tortured before his death occurred

Salazar was last seen at 10:00 am, on June 1, 2011, after dropping off his three week old baby at his wife’s Daisy Lewis’ office. He told her he would be back within the hour, but never returned. He didn’t respond to calls made to his cellphone as well. Some friends finally found his car, a block away from his wife’s place of business.

Background
The murder conspiracy appeared to be the upshot of an affair that Mr. Salazar was having with the wife of the man who’s been called the mastermind of the scheme to arrange to kidnap and kill him. The husband, Manuel Marin had previously confronted Mr. Salazar about the ongoing romantic connection after he found out about it. After the confrontation, all parties involved considered the issue to be resolved without any violence or further incident, but Marin’s wife and her lover kept seeing each other in secret.

To read the entire original article, follow this link titled:
Four South Florida Men Charged in Brutal Murder

Two days prior to the disappearance and murder of Mr. Salazar, Mr. Marin and his wife took their yacht on a trip to Bimini in the the Bahamas. Detectives who later worked the case were able to piece together multiple critical phone calls that were made between Mr. Marin and the four other men that were traced to locations in proximity to where the homicide occurred.

The body that was found in Northwest Dade County was savagely beaten and burned in the area of the groin, with the throat cut close to the point of beheading.

Upon Mr. Marin’s return to the mainland he spoke with one of his employees telling him that he was flying to France, according to detectives who questioned his worker during the investigation. Marin is the co-founder and vice president of Presidente Supermarkets, a chain that had close to thirty stores operating in South Florida, catering to a mostly Hispanic clientele, with annual sales of approximately $700 million.

The others implicated in the conspiracy are Alexis Vila Perdomo, Ariel Gandulla, Yaddiel Marin and Roberto Isaac.

Perdomo was the most well-known of the group winning a bronze medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics in wrestling. Up to the time of his arrest he was a mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter working the Florida regional and Bellator circuits. After his arrest in mid-May of this year the Circuit Judge decided to hold him without bail, accepting the prosecution’s argument that the possibility of him fleeing the country was high.

Ariel Gandulla was also an MMA fighter and was charged with second-degree murder and kidnapping. His fingerprint was found on the victim’s car and his cellphone records were a match to the time and place of the murder; yet however he hasn’t been arrested. Since 2014 he’s been living openly in Canada with his wife and three children. The US government has been reluctant to extradite him due to his Cuban national status and his case for asylum tangled up in Canadian immigration court.

Yaddiel Marin is Manuel Marin’s son who by himself is well-established as the owner of multiple businesses including the Pincho Factory restaurant chain, and multiple fast food restaurants. He has been accused of helping to fund his father’s escape and assisting him monetarily thereafter.

Roberto Isaac is a former MMA fighter as well, in addition to being a fight trainer and promoter. At his bail hearing the judge decided to keep him locked up as well, fearing that Yaddiel Marin would be apt to buy his silence and help leave the country for Cuba.

All four of the men have pleaded not guilty.

Arrested in Spain
As the man was about to enter the American Embassy in Madrid, he caught the attention of the officers of the Spanish Police Intervention Unit (UIP). According to authorities, he appeared nervous, evasive and jumpy. When they checked his identification they immediately found out that he was wanted by the FBI for a suspected murder in the United States. According to authorities, Manuel Marin was at the Embassy to perform some management with his passport. He never made it into the building.

The UIP called the emergency telephone number of the National Police and found out that Marin’s permit to remain in Spain had expired and an international search and seizure warrant was pending. The police then called the Fugitive Group of the Judicial Police General Commissariat finding out that in fact that Marin was wanted by the FBI, the Miami-Dade Police and the Florida State Attorney’s Office. He was then detained and is now waiting to find out when he will be extradited to the United States.

The suspicions of Christopher Villano, the Miami-Dade Police detective who was lead on the case always assumed that Marin fled to Spain principally due to the fact that he had family living in that country. Through his steady detective work he also had knowledge that Marin’s older children from a previous marriage resided there as well, tracing packages that were sent to them on a regular basis. He always believed that Marin fled to Spain to evade arrest and prosecution for the kidnapping and murder of Camilo Salazar the victim of this heinous act.

Upon notification of Marin’s arrest, Villano wrote in the arrest warrant. “The time and expertise of the Spanish police have proved him right”.

Michael B. Cohen, Esq. is a Fort Lauderdale Criminal Defense Attorney whose expertise in homicide cases is extensive. As a former Assistant State Attorney for Broward County, and an Assistant United States Attorney for the government, Mr. Cohen clients receive the best sought possible outcome refuting any charges alleged by the State of Florida or the Federal Government. Working for the prosecution prior to founding his criminal defense practice in the private sector has given him a superior advantage that will result beneficially for those who seek his help. If you, a family member or close friend is charged with any type of homicide, call Mr. Cohen at the earliest possible time for a free case evaluation.

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