A federal court in Los Angeles sentenced Jorge Ruben Camargo Clarke, known as 'Cholo Chorrillo', leader of the Panamanian gang Baghdad, to prison for international drug trafficking. He was found guilty on all counts of international drug trafficking. The trial exposed the operational structure of one of the most dangerous criminal networks to emerge in Panama in the last decade. The investigation supporting the conviction involved coordinated work between the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Panamanian police and judicial authorities. Their forensic contributions and expert testimonies were decisive in establishing Camargo Clarke's criminal responsibility. The sentence represents a significant blow to a criminal network responsible for extreme violence, instability, and large-scale drug trafficking. 'This conviction sends a clear message: the leaders of violent criminal organizations involved in large-scale drug trafficking will be held accountable, no matter where they try to hide,' the U.S. Embassy statement said. Under his command, the Baghdad gang not only operated as a local distribution structure in marginalized neighborhoods of Panama City but also served as a strategic hub for the international trafficking of narcotics to the north of the continent. The sentence marks a milestone in the fight against organized crime in Central America, achieving the conviction in U.S. territory of a criminal leader whose activities generated extreme violence and destabilization in Panamanian communities. The U.S. Embassy extended its sincere gratitude to the police and judicial institutions of Panama for their firm commitment to the rule of law. Camargo directly contributed to the flow of illicit narcotics into American communities. Camargo Clarke was captured in Costa Rica in 2022 while trying to evade Panamanian and U.S. justice. After complex legal proceedings, he was extradited to the United States in March 2023 to face federal charges for conspiracy to distribute cocaine with the intent to import it into the United States.
