Leader of Maldonado criminal organization sentenced to nearly four years in prison after mega-operation

The leader of a criminal organization in Maldonado, Uruguay, has been sentenced to three years and 10 months in prison following a significant police operation dubbed "Jacobo." The operation led to 15 arrests and the confiscation of more than 50 kilograms of cocaine.

The 28-year-old ringleader was convicted by the 11th Criminal Court of Maldonado as the principal perpetrator of a continued offense of supplying narcotic substances, in conjunction with a crime of illicit firearm and ammunition trafficking. According to Maldonado's Chief of Police, Victor Trezza, the convicted man is "a familiar face to the citizens and residents" of the department.

In addition to the leader, eight other men, aged between 19 and 45, were convicted for their roles in the continued offense of supplying narcotic substances. Their sentences range from two years to two years and six months in prison. Another 35-year-old man received a 10-month prison sentence for two counts of aggravated receiving stolen goods, which was substituted with a probationary period.

The operation, announced by the Minister of the Interior Carlos Negro and other authorities, involved multiple raids. During the first phase in April, over 50 kilograms of cocaine, vehicles, cell phones, and surveillance equipment were seized. A 51-year-old man was also sentenced to four years and six months for depositing narcotic substances. The second phase in May led to the discovery of a cocaine processing site and the seizure of 4.5 kilograms of cocaine and 7.5 kilograms of marijuana, along with modified Glock pistols.

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a familiar face to the citizens and residents