Former deputy and former director of Pandeportes, Héctor Brands, was apprehended in the early hours of Tuesday, December 9, 2025, during an operation coordinated by the Public Ministry and the National Police, as part of the investigation for alleged unjustified enrichment and money laundering. According to the Prosecutor's Office, Brands is one of the main investigated parties in a financial plot that would have moved almost 28 million dollars in deposits and bank withdrawals between January 2019 and June 2025, through personal accounts and societies linked to his name. The operation—part of the so-called Operation Bávaro—included simultaneous raids in Panama, West Panama, and Coclé, with a total of ten people apprehended, including relatives of the former official. During the procedure, high-end vehicles, cash, and financial documentation were seized. Brands' arrest occurred at his residence in the Camino de Cruces area, around 5:30 a.m. Judicial agents confirmed that the arrest warrant is part of a sealed case file that remains under analysis until December 21. The origin of the case The investigation was activated after the Financial Analysis Unit (UAF) reported movements classified as “unusual and suspicious,” related to state contractor societies during Brands' management at Pandeportes. Among the companies mentioned are Multi Servicios Modernos, S.A., Services Solutions, S.A., and MSM Production & Consulting Corp., which would have received more than 10 million dollars in public contracts since 2019. According to documents from the Public Ministry itself, during his administration at Pandeportes, between 2021 and 2023, contracts and addenda for more than 601 million dollars were awarded, a figure that is also under review. Blind defense Brands' lawyer assured that the file is “sealed” and that he has not been able to know in detail the charges that are intended to be imputed. What follows It is expected that the Public Ministry will request an audience for the imputation of charges and formalize them. If so, the case could escalate to a broader investigation into alleged improper use of public resources and networks of front men. High-end cars and cash were seized in a raid on Héctor Brands' house.
