Mónica Sosa, known as “La Moni” or “La Gorda Mónica,” became one of the best-known criminal figures associated with the Casavalle neighborhood of Montevideo, Uruguay. Authorities identified her as a leader of Los Chingas, a family-based criminal group that operated in the area. The group became the focus of major investigations after authorities determined that numerous residents had been forced from their homes in the Los Palomares area. El Observador reported that investigators attributed the forced displacement of approximately 110 residents to the group during 2017.
Sosa faced judicial proceedings connected to the group's activities. In 2018, Uruguay's justice system convicted her following an abbreviated trial for housing usurpation and the theft of electricity and drinking water. Subrayado reported that she received a five-month prison sentence, with time already spent in preventive detention taken into account.
Her name remained associated with Los Chingas after her initial conviction. In 2019, police arrested Sosa again during an operation in Casavalle connected to an investigation into a homicide. Montevideo Portal reported that prosecutors subsequently sought preventive detention for her on a charge of private violence, while her possible involvement in other events was being investigated. Those allegations should be distinguished from the convictions already established by the courts.
Los Chingas became a major subject of public attention in Montevideo because of its territorial presence in Casavalle and the investigations into forced displacement of residents. El País described the organization as a family clan and reported that police and prosecutors investigated multiple members for offenses including homicide, extortion, housing usurpation and other crimes.
Mónica Sosa's story therefore remains connected to one of the most prominent organized-crime cases in recent Montevideo history. Her documented conviction, subsequent detention and identification by authorities as a leader of Los Chingas have made her a recurring figure in Uruguayan crime reporting.
SOURCES
El Observador
El Observador — Mónica Sosa and Los Chingas
Subrayado
Subrayado — Mónica Sosa’s conviction
Montevideo Portal
Montevideo Portal — Investigation involving Mónica Sosa
El País Uruguay
El País — Los Chingas and Casavalle
