A scandal has rocked the Maritime Chamber of Panama (CMP) after the ownership of the vessel was attributed to one of its members, Pablo Torres, who was separated from his post. Mulino highlighted that the case is being handled by the Attorney General of the Nation, Luis Gómez, in conjunction with the National Police and the Directorate of Judicial Investigation (DIJ). “That is being investigated by the corresponding authorities,” he said. “The fight against drug trafficking is frontal. However, in May 2024, the boat was sold and transferred to the registry of Tanzania, falling outside the direct jurisdiction of the AMP. He highlighted that in September 2025, the vessel attempted to resume operations in Panama, applying for a license for fuel supply activities, but the application was rejected for not having the necessary capabilities for this type of business. When he was told that he could not pass, he was detained and was anchored in Amador for some time and the owners opted to take it out of the country,” expressed Roquebert. The administrator of the AMP said that when the Oceanic Top left Panama in October of this year, there was no authority to monitor it; shortly after it became known that the seizure was made on that boat. Meanwhile, he added that the AMP is cooperating and providing the necessary documentation to the Public Ministry to clarify this case. “We are a responsible entity, we have to regulate and oversee everything that the law regulates; we are guarantors that those ships, when they are or navigate in international waters, comply with all the appropriate standards so that our flag is not stained,” he added. We have to redouble our efforts because the cartels are getting stronger and stronger, financing gangs that generate violence in our streets and neighborhoods. And this is an effort that all countries must make,” warned the president. On the other hand, Luis Alberto Roquebert, administrator of the Maritime Authority of Panama (AMP), detailed that the Oceanic Top was registered under the Panamanian flag in 2022, after being acquired in the United States. The President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino, referred in his weekly conference to the seizure of 13.5 tons of illicit substances on a tugboat. These international criminal organizations are branching out within our country. Don't doubt it for a moment.
