Chile's Gendarmería seizes over 70 homemade weapons in Arica prison raid

During a surprise inspection at the Arica Penitentiary Complex, Chile's Minister of Public Security, Martín Arrau, accompanied by regional Gendarmería officials, oversaw a sweep that confiscated more than 70 illicit items. The seizure included 59 handmade bladed weapons, 17 blunt‑force weapons, cell phones, chargers, a Smart‑TV converter, and cash, as well as 7 liters of liquid ferment. The operation, part of routine security protocols, involved the regional director, Colonel Fabiola Torres, and other prison and police personnel.

Arrau highlighted the high foreign inmate population—about 2,200 prisoners—and stressed the role of Gendarmería in maintaining public safety and prison order. The raid reflects ongoing efforts to strengthen penitentiary control and enforce judicial mandates throughout Chile's prison system.