Fernando Pérez Algaba, a Spanish entrepreneur and influential figure in the cryptocurrency industry, was found dead under gruesome circumstances in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, per a report by El Pais, an Argentinian news outlet. Algaba, known as Lechuga on social media, had a significant Instagram following of 900,000. He had been living in Argentina for a week before his brutal murder.
The 41-year-old Algaba was identified by the police through his fingerprints and unique tattoos. The investigation revealed that he was shot thrice before his body was dismembered.
Algaba, who started his entrepreneurial journey at the age of 14 by selling sandwiches, built his fortune through cryptocurrency trading and a luxury vehicle rental business. His passion for luxury vehicles led him to collect an impressive array of high-end cars, motorcycles, and jet skis.
However, Algaba’s financial stability was reportedly shaky. His company, Motors Lettuce SRL, was allegedly bouncing checks within a year of its establishment in 2018. He also had unrecoverable debts with Argentina’s tax agency.
Algaba’s association with the notorious gang, Barra Bravas, has come under scrutiny after a note on his phone indicated significant losses in a cryptocurrency business. He had also reportedly received threats from the son of a prominent leader of the Boca Juniors’ barra brava, who demanded a loan of US$40,000.
Despite these financial troubles, Algaba’s brother, Rodolfo Pérez Algaba, insists that Algaba was not involved in any illegal activities.
The horrifying discovery of Algaba’s dismembered body was made by a group of children playing near a creek in the town of Ingeniero Budge in Buenos Aires. They found a red suitcase filled with body parts, leading to the police being alerted. A subsequent autopsy revealed that Algaba had been shot three times before being dismembered, with the clean cuts on the body parts suggesting the work of a professional.
Algaba, a resident of Barcelona, Spain, had reportedly been in Argentina for a week before his murder. He had been reported missing since the previous Tuesday.
