Panama Seizes Large Drug Shipment Bound for Spain

Panamanian authorities reported on Wednesday the seizure of a large shipment of 1,162 drug packages in a Caribbean area of Panama, destined for Spain. The information does not specify the type of drug seized or the total weight, although drug packages typically weigh a kilogram, and cocaine is the most trafficked drug through Panama's ports. On November 11 of last year, Panama reported a 'historic' seizure of 13,508 kilograms of cocaine, valued on the market at around 200 million dollars, from a tugboat intercepted in Panamanian Pacific waters heading to North America from Colombia. Panama is a transit country for drugs produced in South America, with destinations being the United States—the world's largest consumer of cocaine—and Europe. The cache of illicit substances was found 'hidden inside a container destined for Spain' during a raid on a port on the Atlantic Coast carried out by security agencies and the anti-drug prosecutor's office of the Ministry of Public (MP), the investigative entity reported on X. In this seizure, 10 nationals of Venezuela, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Colombia were captured and have been presented before the relevant authorities to be charged with the crime of international trafficking of illicit substances. Official data indicates that around 80 tons of illicit substances were seized in 2024.