Man killed in Montevideo shooting; separate arms trafficking probe yields arrests

A 23-year-old man was fatally shot late Sunday night in Montevideo's Manga neighborhood, prompting a police search for the assailants. The victim was discovered in an open area between Camino Boiso Lanza and Achar, suffering from severe injuries, including gunshot wounds to the head and chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after police arrived.

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The man had a gunshot wound to the head and another to the chest.

According to witness accounts, the man was fired upon multiple times from a moving van, which then fled the area. Police recovered 9mm shell casings and other evidence at the scene. The investigation has been assigned to the Prosecutor's Office of Flagrancy and Homicides, which is reviewing surveillance footage and phone records, and interviewing witnesses and responding officers.

In a related development, a separate investigation into possible internal arms trafficking within Montevideo has yielded significant results. A raid on a residence in the Batlle y Ordóñez area uncovered three firearms, a .38 caliber revolver, a .22 caliber revolver, and a 6.35 caliber pistol, along with 37 rounds of ammunition and cash in Uruguayan and Dominican currency. This operation stemmed from an earlier police stop on August 7, where a motorcyclist was found to be riding a vehicle that had been reported stolen.

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According to a witness, the man was shot several times from a van, and the vehicle then fled.

Following intelligence gathering, police identified a potential arms trafficking network. A joint operation, authorized by a judicial warrant, led to the discovery of the weapons and cash. A 29-year-old foreign national, identified by the initials A.B.V., has been placed under total house arrest for 120 days as part of this investigation.

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Three firearms, 37 rounds of ammunition, and cash were seized.