On the morning of July 10, 2026, a shocking quintuple murder occurred in El Monarca, a neighborhood on the outskirts of Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay. Four armed gunmen stormed into a residential home and opened fire indiscriminately, killing five people, including a 14-year-old girl. Uruguayan Interior Minister Carlos Negro stated that the case stemmed from a “long-standing conflict” between two drug-trafficking family gangs.

Perpetrators Disguised as Police, Scene of Carnage

According to police reports, the incident took place around 7:00 a.m. The four attackers arrived at the scene on two motorcycles, wearing helmets and carrying rifles. Three of them climbed over the wall into the yard, shouting “Police!” to deceive the occupants. Once inside, they immediately opened fire. Neighbors reported hearing “more than 20 gunshots.”

Upon arrival, police found four people dead at the scene – one man lying in the yard, one woman dead in a chair, and two other men at the entrance to a bedroom. A 14-year-old girl, struck by multiple bullets, was rushed to the hospital but later died from her injuries. A 54-year-old woman – the mother of three of the male victims – narrowly survived the attack by hiding under several blankets on her bed after sensing danger, hearing only gunshots and screams.

Victim Identities: Members of a Family Drug Trafficking Gang

The five deceased were identified as three brothers (two aged 18 and one aged 28, all with criminal records), a 32-year-old woman (the mother-in-law of one of the brothers), and her 14-year-old daughter. Police confirmed that all victims were members of the “Los Suárez” drug trafficking gang. The gang had previously operated in the Villa Española area of Montevideo and had recently moved to El Monarca.

Gang Revenge: The Los Suárez–Los Albin Rivalry

Police investigations indicate that the case is linked to a long-running territorial dispute between the Los Suárez gang and the “Los Albin” gang over drug sales markets. The two groups have been locked in conflict for years. The killing of 21-year-old Ezequiel Barrios Suárez in November 2023 is considered one of the key events that escalated hostilities between the two sides. Minister Negro noted, “Multiple homicides are not new in Uruguay; they have happened before. This is the result of a series of killings among the same group of people.”

Political Storm: Opposition Calls for Interior Minister’s Resignation

The massacre quickly triggered political fallout. Former Interior Minister Nicolás Martinelli publicly called on President Yamandú Orsi to dismiss current Interior Minister Negro. He wrote on social media: “First the minister forecasts an increase in homicides in the second half of the year, then the president says ‘we’re handling it quite well.’ Within 24 hours, three police officers are shot, and today we have a quintuple murder. Mr. President, is it really that hard to find a minister worthy of this position?”

National Party legislator Sebastián Da Silva said, “Bullets are flying in areas controlled by drug traffickers.” Colorado Party Senator Robert Silva called on the government to take decisive action: “This cannot continue. The government must make decisions and deploy more police officers in these neighborhoods.” Minister Negro responded that police would step up enforcement in key areas and plans to reorganize the Montevideo Police Headquarters.

This quintuple murder is one of the most serious violent incidents in Uruguay since the quadruple murder that occurred in the Maracaná neighborhood of Montevideo in May 2024.

Caracas, July 10 (Comprehensive Report)

Jorge Rodríguez, President of Venezuela’s National Assembly, announced via social media on July 10 that the two powerful earthquakes that struck the country on June 24 have now killed 4,118 people and injured 16,740 — a rise of 229 deaths from the previous official toll of 3,889.

Strongest Earthquake in a Century Devastates Central Coast

On the evening of June 24, Venezuela was hit by two earthquakes of magnitude 7 or above within less than a minute. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the first quake registered magnitude 7.2, with its epicenter about 160 kilometers west of the capital Caracas; less than a minute later, a second tremor of magnitude 7.5 struck, both at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers. This is the most powerful earthquake to hit Venezuela in over a century.

The tremors violently shook the country’s densely populated urban areas. The central coastal region bore the brunt of the disaster, with La Guaira State suffering the heaviest damage. More than 138 aftershocks occurred within the first 24 hours. According to the latest official figures, a total of 1,171 aftershocks have been recorded since the main shocks on June 24.

Nearly 18,000 People Left Homeless

As search and rescue efforts continued, the death toll has climbed steadily. Shortly after the quakes, the official toll stood at 32; it rose to 920 on June 26, 1,450 on June 28, exceeded 3,800 in early July, and reached 4,118 by July 10.

Official data also show that 6,462 people have been rescued so far, while 17,907 people remain homeless. A total of 89 temporary shelters have been set up across the country, housing 16,891 people, and 28,836 others have received medical treatment. The earthquakes damaged 856 buildings, of which 190 completely collapsed.

International Aid Arrives

The international community responded swiftly after the disaster. The United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator allocated $15 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund for emergency medical care, temporary shelter, food, drinking water, and other urgent humanitarian aid. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies released 2 million Swiss francs within hours of the quake and launched an emergency appeal for 50 million Swiss francs on June 26.

China delivered its first batch of emergency humanitarian supplies on July 6, including generators, water purification equipment, disinfection units, solar lighting, tents, and blankets. Chinese tents have been distributed to affected families in La Guaira State.

The FIFA Foundation announced on July 11 a $1 million grant to support emergency humanitarian assistance for earthquake victims in Venezuela.

Currently, 30,076 emergency personnel, 29,344 volunteers, and 3,931 foreign rescue workers are involved in disaster response and recovery efforts. The UN estimates that 1.3 million people will need humanitarian aid over the next six months.

Post‑Disaster Challenges Remain

As the earthquake response enters its third week, efforts have shifted from emergency search and rescue to epidemic prevention and medical recovery. In the hard‑hit La Guaira State, controlling the risk of post‑earthquake infectious diseases has become an urgent challenge.

The Venezuelan government has begun advancing reconstruction work, conducting safety assessments of damaged buildings. However, reconstruction needs are immense. Venezuelan authorities have called for the unfreezing of state assets that remain blocked under sanctions to secure rebuilding funds. The UN has appealed to the international community for $296 million to cover relief and reconstruction efforts over the next six months.

Jorge Rodríguez, President of Venezuela’s National Assembly, announced on social media on July 9 that the two strong earthquakes that struck the country on June 24 have so far caused 3,889 deaths and 16,740 injuries. This is the latest official casualty figure released two weeks after the disaster, an increase of 204 confirmed deaths since the previous report.

According to official Venezuelan statistics, 6,462 people have been rescued, though the number of rescues has remained unchanged for five consecutive days. The earthquakes left 17,907 people homeless. Nationwide, 89 temporary camps have been set up, sheltering 16,891 people, while another 28,836 people are receiving medical treatment. Since the main shocks on June 24, the country has recorded 1,142 aftershocks.

The earthquakes struck on the evening of June 24, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, occurring about 40 seconds apart, with epicenters in Yaracuy state, only 10 kilometers apart. The hardest-hit area, La Guaira state, suffered catastrophic destruction. Previously, Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, had revealed that nearly all officials in La Guaira state perished in the quakes. La Guaira has been declared a “disaster zone,” with large numbers of buildings collapsed or severely damaged.

Rescue efforts are ongoing, with 30,076 emergency personnel, 29,344 volunteers, and 3,931 foreign rescue workers participating in post-disaster rescue and recovery operations. The United Nations estimates that 1.3 million people will need humanitarian assistance over the next six months. The UN is striving to raise approximately $300 million in reconstruction funds for Venezuela.

International aid has continued to arrive. The Chinese government provided emergency humanitarian cash assistance immediately after the quake and later added an additional 100 million yuan in emergency无偿 aid. On the evening of July 5, the first shipment of 80 tons of relief supplies departed from Beijing, including 20 generators, 8 water purification vehicles, 200 disinfection units, more than 1,700 tents, and over 6,700 blankets. The Red Cross Society of China also provided $300,000 in emergency cash assistance to the Venezuelan Red Cross.

However, the health situation in the disaster areas remains dire. The Pan American Health Organization had previously warned that overcrowding in shelters, lack of clean water, and interrupted medical services could lead to outbreaks of diarrheal diseases, respiratory infections, and other illnesses. As search and rescue operations gradually transition to reconstruction, how to prevent secondary disasters and the spread of epidemics poses a major challenge for the Venezuelan government.