Money laundering in Uruguay: Investigation opens into the "boss" named by Leiva upon arrest
Pablo Leiva, convicted of money laundering, named his "boss" during a police raid. The prosecution has opened a case to investigate him.
Prosecution opens case against the "boss" named by Leiva in police operation
According to montevideo.com.uy, the money laundering prosecutor, Enrique Rodríguez, decided to open a judicial case following a meeting held on Monday with investigators in the Pablo Leiva case, who was convicted as part of Operation Tracer promoted by the Interior Ministry.
Leiva's name became public because he was listed as an adviser to the white party councillor in Montevideo, Gonzalo Gómez. Gómez, at a press conference held on Monday, stated that the convicted man never advised him on the facts, that he has received 52,000 nominal pesos since December 2025, and that he never appeared at the Montevideo Departmental Assembly nor had any assigned tasks.
Leiva is also the father of Lucio, a former member of the nationalist youth movement, who presented his resignation last Sunday.
Police raided the home that Leiva shared with his son, located on San Petersburgo near Callao. During that operation, whose images were broadcast by the streaming programme La Tapadita, the detainee can be heard mentioning the person who would be his "boss". Leiva asked the officers if he could call him to notify him; the police officer replied that "not for now".
"He gives me the work that I do," Leiva explained to the agents.
Within the organisation, Leiva's role consisted of laundering money through currency exchange houses. He received his instructions via WhatsApp. Although he worked at a business of that type, the illegal operation was not carried out at that company.
The person Leiva identified as his superior is in charge of Treasury at Cambio Monex. In the dialogue with police, Leiva himself acknowledged that he does not work for a currency exchange, but rather follows the orders of the man he named.
That person is among those who will have to declare before the prosecution. All the information gathered has already been made available to Rodríguez, whose office will take the first steps to identify more persons responsible in the scheme and clarify the scope of the money laundering operation.
Source: Google News UY — Montevideo