LEON CAZADOR - HIS LIFE

 On the occasion of the publication by Rough Edges Press of three novels featuring Leon Cazador, Private Eye – Rogue Prey, No Prisoners, and Organ Symphony, you will find below a brief biography of the character and a time-line for guidance 

LEON CAZADOR, P.I.

Brief biography

The world needs brave souls like Leon Cazador who is not afraid to bring the ungodly to justice and so help, in his own words, to hold back the encroaching night of unreason.

Leon was born on 16 February 1963 in Spain. He has an English mother (Julia), Spanish father (Paco), a married sister, Pilar, and an older brother, Juan, who is an officer in the Guardia Civil. Leon Cazador sometimes operates in disguise under several aliases, among them Carlos Ortiz Santos.

When he was twenty-one, rather than wait for conscription, he decided to jump and joined the Army, graduating as an Artillery Lieutenant. (Spain’s conscription didn’t cease until 2001). 

About a year later, he joined the Spanish Foreign Legion’s Special Operations Company (Bandera de operaciones especiales de la legión) and was trained in the United States at Fort Bragg, where he built up his considerable knowledge about clandestine activities and weapons. Some months afterwards, he was recruited into the CESID (Centro Superior de Informacion de la Defensa), which later became the CNI (Centro Nacional de Inteligencia). Unlike most Western democracies, Spain runs a single intelligence organization to combat both domestic and foreign threats. 

Part of his intelligence gathering entailed his transfer to the Spanish Embassy in Washington, D.C. There, he met several useful contacts in the intelligence community. 

At the close of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan he embarked on a number of secret missions to that blighted land with CIA operatives. By the time the Soviet withdrawal was a reality, Leon was transferred to the Spanish Embassy in Tokyo, where he liaised with both intelligence and police organizations.  

Secret work followed in China, the Gulf and Yugoslavia. 

In 1987, Leon was attached to a secret section of MI6 to assist British operatives in Colombia. 

Although he has been decorated four times in theaters of conflict, reports imply that his bravery justifies at least three more medals. 

A year after witnessing the atrocity of the Twin Towers while stationed with the United Nations, he returned to civilian life and set up a private investigation firm. 

During periods of leave and while stationed in Spain, he had established a useful network of contacts in law enforcement, notably Captain Silvano Lopez of the Guardia Civil. 

One of his early cases resulted in him becoming financially set for life, so now he conducts his crusade against villains of all shades, and in the process attempts to save the unwary from the clutches of con-men, rogues and crooks.

 

Leon Cazador’s life timeline

(His age is shown in brackets)

 

1984 - Graduated as Artillery Lieutenant in Spain’s Army (21)

1985 – Joined Spanish Foreign Legion, Special Ops Co. (22)

1986 – Joined CESID (Later to become CNI, 2001) (23)

1987 – Spanish Embassy, Washington DC (24)

1987 – Secretly deployed in Afghanistan (Soviet withdrawal May/88-Feb/89) (24)

1988 – Spanish Embassy, Tokyo, Japan (liaising with intelligence and police re Yakuza) (25)

1989 – Secretly deployed in China, providing intelligence on the protests (Tiananmen Square) (26)

1990 – Gulf War special operations. Medal. (27)

1991 – Yugoslavia – special operation then aiding the UN peacekeeping forces. Medal.  (28)

1992-1993 – special ops during Bosnian War (NATO peacekeeping began 1995); wounded/escaped. (29-30) Medal.

1994 – Hospitalized. (31)

1995 – Spanish Embassy, London (32)

1997 – Attached to MI6 adjunct International Enterprises and deployed to Colombia to investigate the formation (in April) of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia. (33)

1998-1999 – secret operations in Kosovo, in preparation for NATO bombing campaign. Medal. (34-35)

2000 – United Nations secondment (36)

2001 – Witnesses 9/11 atrocity (37)

2002 – Leaves service. Returns to Spain and begins career as a private investigator. (38)

2003 – Relic Hunter case – now financially set for life to conduct his crusade against the ungodly (39)

2014 – Involved in Cat’s Crusade: Catalyst with Cat and Rick in Barcelona (51)

2015 – Attended wedding of Monica and Detective Francis Attard in Malta (52)

2017 – Working with FBI, Sister Cristina in Charleston, SC (December): see also Organ Symphony (54)

2018 – Involved in endangered species case: see Rogue Prey (June) (55)

2019 – Rogue Prey (July); recruits Carlota Diaz as PA; see also No Prisoners (September) (56)

2022 – The Organ Symphony case (August) (59)