Reporting on criminal incidents, investigations, and law enforcement responses across Panama. Stories focus on facts, community impact, and safety developments.
A stolen motor from a water pumping station has left hundreds of families in Atalaya, Veraguas, without potable water, with investigators saying the thieves appeared to know how the equipment worked.
Fraud complaints in Panama rose 14% in early 2026 as cybercriminals exploit stolen phones to drain bank accounts. The Superintendencia de Bancos outlines three critical steps victims must take within minutes of a theft.
Panama’s Ministry of Social Development is asking the public for help finding a white Toyota Coaster bus, plate GO9704, stolen from its regional office in Penonomé. The vehicle was used to transport girls from state care homes in Coclé.
Panama’s organized crime prosecutors have charged 22 defendants, including a newly arrested suspect, in a $40 million tax credit fraud scheme that manipulated the DGI’s e-Tax 2.0 system. Judge Clara Montenegro ordered provisional detention for the latest defendant, Gabriel Martínez.
Nine people have been sentenced for gang activity in San Miguelito under Operation ‘Custodia,’ after prosecutors linked the structure to thefts, forced evictions, and arson against residents of Santa Marta’s Sector 42 and Las Colinas.
A Panamanian man wanted for six years was arrested in Costa Rica and handed over to Panamanian authorities, who allege links to the Tren de Aragua criminal organization. The capture shows growing cross-border cooperation.
Panamanian authorities arrested eight people and seized 10 vehicles in Operation Delivery, dismantling a Chiriquí-based drug ring that used taxis to distribute narcotics with alleged links to Panama City groups and cross-border trafficking to Costa Rica.
A Panamanian court has convicted 14 people, including a criminal organization leader and two corporate entities, of money laundering following a 14-month trial stemming from Operation Fisher. Seven were also convicted of criminal association.
Panamanian authorities launched Operation Delivery across 12 checkpoints in Bugaba, Chiriquí, resulting in seven arrests and the recovery of ten vehicles. The operation highlights ongoing efforts to combat vehicle theft in the border region.
A Panamanian court found Jorge Luis General and 13 others guilty of laundering over $10 million in drug proceeds tied to the Gulf Clan. Sentencing is set for October 6.
A man who stepped out of a gang-related court hearing narrowly survived a 60-shot attack on his vehicle at a Panama City gas station, in what prosecutors believe was a case of mistaken identity tied to gang rivalries. An 18-year-old and a minor have been charged.
Panamanians are being drawn into the Russia-Ukraine war through fraudulent job offers backed by fictitious contracts, with deaths already reported. Survivors share their testimonies in a special Telemetro report.
Panama is preparing to launch a public digital registry through the Panamá Conecta portal that will expose the names of citizens with final convictions for sexual crimes, aiming to strengthen protection of minors.
