The monoplane Trīs zvaigznes, a wooden aircraft designed and constructed by Herberts Cukurs, successfully completed a 45,000-kilometre flight across Japan, China, Indochina, and India in 1937. Before his involvement in mass murder, Cukurs achieved fame as an aviator, earning the Harmon Trophy in 1933 for his solo endurance flights from Latvia to Gambia and Riga to Tokyo.
Aviation Prowess and Recognition
During the 1930s, Cukurs was celebrated as a national hero in Latvia, drawing comparisons to international pilots of his era. He designed and built three aircraft, including the C-6 wooden monoplane powered by a De Havilland Gipsy engine. His success earned him the Order of the Three Stars. Following the 1940 Soviet occupation of Latvia, he was summoned to Moscow to discuss aircraft production for the Soviet Union, but his career trajectory shifted dramatically during the German occupation.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Participation in the Holocaust
In 1941, Cukurs became deputy commander of the Arajs Kommando, a unit operating under the German SD. Survivors and historical records link him to severe atrocities against the Jewish population of Latvia, including the liquidation of the Riga Ghetto. Witnesses alleged he participated in the burning of the synagogue on Stabu Street and carried out individual executions. While historian Andrew Ezergailis later debated the extent of his specific presence at the Rumbula massacre site, Cukurs remained identified as a central figure in the orchestration of mass killings and systemic violence.
Post-War Escape and Life in Brazil
As German forces retreated, Cukurs escaped to Brazil, obtaining a permanent residency visa from the Brazilian Consulate in Marseille on 18 December 1945. He traveled with three children and a Jewish woman he had kidnapped and forced to pose as his wife. He settled in São Paulo, where he operated an aviation business using Republic RC-3 Seabees for scenic flights. He lived openly in South America for two decades, making no attempt to conceal his identity or location.
Assassination in Uruguay
In 1965, Mossad agents tracked Cukurs to South America, seeking to bring him to justice for his crimes. A disguised agent, Yaakov Meidad, contacted Cukurs under the false pretense of launching a joint aviation venture. Cukurs was lured to a residence in Shangrilá, Uruguay, where he was ambushed by a team of agents. After a physical struggle, during which Cukurs bit an assailant, he was incapacitated by a blow to the head and subsequently killed by two shots from a suppressed firearm.
Fast facts
- Born: 1900, Liepāja
- Died: 23 February 1965, Montevideo
- Nationality: Latvian
- Primary Occupation: Aviator
- Notable Recognition: Order of the Three Stars
- Military Role: Deputy commander, Arajs Kommando
- Cause of death: Assassination by Mossad agents
Questions readers ask
Why did the Israeli government target Cukurs?
His assassination was intended to apply diplomatic pressure on West Germany to extend the statute of limitations regarding the prosecution of Nazi war criminals.
Did Cukurs stand trial for his actions?
No, he was never brought to trial, as he fled Europe before being identified and apprehended in South America.
Achievements
- Order of the Three Stars
- Recorded as war criminal, aircraft pilot and Holocaust perpetrator
