The US Embassy reported that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) provided intelligence support for the operation that resulted in the seizure of 13.5 tons of cocaine found on a vessel in the Pacific waters off Panama on November 9. The ocean-going tugboat was intercepted in the Pearl Islands archipelago as it was sailing from Colombia to North America. Its ten crew members, nationals of Colombia, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, are in custody and charged with international drug trafficking. "This extraordinary achievement highlights the close security cooperation between the United States and Panama, demonstrating the strong collaboration between Panamanian authorities and the DEA," the diplomatic delegation stated in a recent press release. As reported on Tuesday by the National Aeronaval Service (Senan), the cache was found in "579 bales containing 11,562 packages of illicit substance". The US official note highlighted that this seizure "equals 10% of the usual annual confiscations made by the United States and Panama in Panama". The US Ambassador to Panama, Kevin Marino Cabrera, praised Panamanian authorities for this "one-day operation," which dealt "a strong blow to the criminal networks that profit from drug trafficking and endanger communities throughout our hemisphere." "Under the Trump Administration, defeating drug trafficking networks in the Western Hemisphere remains a fundamental priority to support regional stability and protect communities across the region," he added. The President of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, confirmed the previous day that a businessman and executive from the Panamanian Maritime Chamber, who was removed from his position, is being investigated for his alleged involvement with the shipment. Panama is a transit country for drugs produced in South America destined for the United States—the world's largest consumer of cocaine—and Europe. According to official data, the Central American country seized around eighty tons of illicit substances in 2024.
