Uruguay police arrest five in UTE cable‑theft and machete‑threat case

On July 26, Uruguayan police carried out two operations that resulted in the detention of five people, including three minors with existing judicial orders. In the early‑morning raid, officers responded to a 911 call about a suspected cable‑theft at the intersection of Gral. Fructuoso Rivera and Colón. Two men, aged 36 and 45, were caught in the act of removing wiring from a buried UTE (Uruguay's state electricity company) conduit and were taken into custody. Later, at 08:45, police intervened at a residence on Candelaria Street after a resident reported a group threatening her and her son with knives. Three adolescents, ages 14, 15 and 17, were identified, seized with two machetes, and detained. The case has been referred to the prosecutor’s office for further legal action.