Ricardo Damián Cáceres Correa, known as “Ricardito,” is a Uruguayan organized-crime figure whose name has been associated for years with criminal activity in the Cerro and Cerro Norte areas of Montevideo. He is also the maternal half-brother of Luis Alberto “Betito” Suárez, another well-known figure in Uruguay's organized-crime investigations.
Cáceres began accumulating criminal records at a young age. According to Uruguayan media reports, he had numerous entries in the country's juvenile justice system before reaching adulthood. As an adult, his record included convictions and proceedings involving narcotics-related offenses and other crimes.
The “Los Ricarditos” group
Authorities and Uruguayan media have identified Cáceres as the leader of a criminal structure commonly known as “Los Ricarditos,” operating primarily in parts of western Montevideo. The group has been described as being connected to the broader network associated with the Suárez family.
His criminal influence continued even while he was incarcerated. Investigators alleged that he maintained control over several illicit businesses from prison and communicated with people outside the penitentiary. These allegations became an important element of subsequent judicial proceedings.
Escape and recapture
In 2019, Cáceres became the subject of a nationwide search after failing to return to the Libertad prison following an authorized temporary release. He was recaptured in September of that year in Montevideo's Cerro neighborhood after police surrounded a residence where he was located.
The episode reinforced his profile as a high-risk prisoner in Uruguay's criminal justice system. He was subsequently returned to custody and continued serving prison sentences.
Convictions and prison control
In 2021, Cáceres was sentenced to nine years in prison for organizing narcotics-trafficking activities, along with extortion, private violence and aggravated personal injury offenses. The conviction established a significant part of his documented criminal record.
In July 2026, Uruguay's courts imposed an additional sentence of nine years and four months for organizing and financing narcotics-trafficking activities and for private violence. According to reports on the judgment, Cáceres acknowledged being involved in drug trafficking but denied responsibility for murder.
The 2026 proceedings followed an investigation into criminal activity allegedly continuing from inside prison. Authorities subsequently transferred Cáceres to a maximum-security unit after a triple homicide in Montevideo's Cerro neighborhood. Investigators suspected that the location was connected to his organization and that he continued to exert influence from custody. These allegations concerning the homicide remain distinct from his convictions.
Current status
Ricardo Damián Cáceres Correa remains incarcerated in Uruguay. His documented convictions establish his responsibility for the offenses for which courts have sentenced him, while allegations concerning other violent incidents must remain distinguished from those judicial findings.
His case is notable within Uruguay's recent organized-crime history because authorities have repeatedly investigated the ability of criminal organizations to maintain influence over activities outside prison even while their principal figures remain incarcerated.
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