Uruguayan authorities arrest 14-year-old terrorism suspect

A Uruguayan 14-year-old student who spoke fluent Arabic and whose dangerousness had been tipped to local authorities by the US Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and the Israeli Secret Service (Mossad) has been arrested in the rural town of Lascano in the southeastern department (province) of Rocha.

At the time of his detention last Friday, the suspect was found to be in possession of materials associated with terrorism, such as ISIS videos as well as weapons and chats about homemade explosives, which had also been relayed to other teenagers. The suspect had been recruited online, it was also reported.

Uruguayan Prosecutors ordered a psychiatric evaluation of the potential terrorist, who has now been housed at a juvenile detention center in Montevideo run by the National Institute of Adolescent Social Inclusion (Inisa).

After the arrest, other police operations have been undertaken, albeit in absolute secrecy. However, helicopter raids were visible in Lascano as intelligence explored the possible extent of the local threatening cell.

Despite the secrecy surrounding the cases, which is being handled as a national intelligence matter, in addition to the legal guarantees to which the suspect is entitled as a minor, it was reported by local media that the man was charged with an attempt against the integrity of the national territory.

Read more: MercoPress