Panamanian security forces confiscated 112 tons of narcotics and arrested 92 individuals during 2025. A series of thirteen major operations throughout the year exposed the sophisticated and adaptable methods used by criminal networks operating within the country’s borders.<\/p>\n
The seized drugs were primarily found hidden inside shipping containers, fast boats, and clandestine storage sites on islands in the Pearl Archipelago and in Pacific coast estuaries. Authorities highlighted a troubling trend of traffickers exploiting official ports and the nation’s main airport, while also adopting low-tech methods like backpackers and drones.<\/p>\n
\n“The security forces are making great efforts to seize drugs and capture members of these criminal organizations,” said Security Minister Frank \u00c1brego. [Translated from Spanish] He warned, however, that greater investment in equipment and technology is required to confront organized crime effectively.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Minister \u00c1brego acknowledged a measurable increase in the volume of drugs entering Panama by sea from Colombia and Ecuador, a fact reflected in the year’s rising seizure totals. He also confirmed that some leaders of these networks reside in European countries and remotely control shipment movements from there.<\/p>\n
Major Operations Target Airport and Port Networks<\/h2>\n
Two operations, named Eros and Colibr\u00ed, stood out as significant blows to trafficking infrastructure. These actions led to 54 arrests and the seizure of three tons of drugs. Investigators uncovered a well-articulated criminal structure that used Tocumen International Airport<\/a> as a hub for moving narcotics via luggage to Europe and the United States.<\/p>\n
The group included airport employees, suppliers, and private individuals who introduced the drugs from the Dari\u00e9n Gap<\/a> and Pacific coast areas. Another operation, Nodriza, dismantled a network using the port of Vacamonte in Panama Oeste as a route, resulting in eight arrests and two tons of seized cocaine.<\/p>\n
The single largest seizure in the nation’s history occurred in November. Authorities intercepted a tugboat carrying 13 tons of narcotics, arresting two crew members on a vessel that had allegedly departed from Colombia.<\/p>\n
Low-Tech Methods and Prison Infiltration<\/h2>\n
Not all seizures involved massive maritime shipments. The same month as the record tugboat bust, a vehicle from the Ombudsman’s Office was stopped in Chepo with 12 kilos of cocaine. This incident revealed a new overland route using backpackers to move drugs along trails from Dari\u00e9n to Chepo.<\/p>\n
Traffickers also turned to aerial technology for prison deliveries. Authorities dismantled a group using drones to drop narcotics into La Joya prison, arresting four people and confiscating their drones. In a stark revelation, Minister \u00c1brego stated that inmates held at Punta Coco prison were controlling the shipment of drugs inside containers arriving at ports in Col\u00f3n province.<\/p>\n
Investigations show many of these shipments are destined for European markets, particularly Belgium, Spain, and France, with some headed to Australia. The pervasive nature of the drug trafficking<\/a> threat continues to challenge national institutions.<\/p>\n
Clan del Golfo Shifts Focus to Narcotics<\/h2>\n
Security officials also reported a strategic shift by one of the region’s most notorious criminal groups. Intelligence reports from the National Border Service indicate the Clan del Golfo has reoriented its operations in Dari\u00e9n province. Following the closure of migrant passage routes they once controlled, the criminal structure is now focusing heavily on drug trafficking.<\/p>\n
They utilize backpackers and fast boats that move between Colombia and Panama. This adaptation demonstrates the fluid nature of transnational crime in the region, where criminal enterprises quickly pivot to the most profitable illicit ventures. The group’s continued presence underscores the complex security challenges in remote border areas.<\/p>\n
Other significant seizures throughout the year included 1,500 kilos of cocaine found hidden in two vehicles in Arraij\u00e1n in October, and 604 kilos seized in August across Condado del Rey, San Miguelito, and Col\u00f3n. Port interceptions remained a key tactic, with over 3,300 kilos confiscated from transit containers in Col\u00f3n ports on August 6th alone.<\/p>\n