Reporting on criminal incidents, investigations, and law enforcement responses across Panama. Stories focus on facts, community impact, and safety developments.
Panama’s coasts are under pressure from drug-trafficking networks using fast boats, fishing-style vessels, and container shipments. Authorities have seized 31.4 tons of drugs so far in 2026 as traffickers keep changing routes.
Panama extradited a Cuban national to the United States to face sex trafficking, extortion, cyberstalking, and related federal charges. The case highlights Panama’s role in cross-border law enforcement and anti-trafficking cooperation.
A 28-year-old man accused in the killing of Assistant Prosecutor Patricia Ossa has been charged with femicide and aggravated robbery and placed in provisional detention. The case raises broader concerns about violence against public officials and the justice system in Panama.
A judge ordered the provisional detention of Orlando Cuesta in the killing of prosecutor Patricia Ossa in Pueblo Nuevo. The case has intensified concern in Panama over domestic violence and firearm access.
Police and prosecutors dismantled a fraud ring in Panama that impersonated banks to trick users into transferring money. The case underscores the growing threat of financial scams built on trust and urgency.
The United States has charged Raúl Castro over the 1996 shootdown of two civilian planes that killed four exiles. The move revives a long-running case at the center of U.S.-Cuba tensions.
Police director Jaime Fernández said the attacker in the case involving fiscal Ossa is not part of Panama’s public security forces. He also outlined a broader security strategy centered on domestic violence, microtrafficking and anti-gang operations.
Mango founder Isak Andic’s death in a Montserrat hiking accident has turned into a homicide investigation, with his son Jonathan now under judicial scrutiny. The case has put one of Spain’s most influential retail families and its succession fight back in the spotlight.
Panama’s debate over extinción de dominio is intensifying as regional cases highlight how asset forfeiture can weaken organized crime. The key question is whether Panama will adopt a model that protects due process while helping authorities recover illicit wealth.
The FBI says two San Diego mosque shooters met online and left writings expressing hate, pointing investigators toward a possible extremist motive. The case highlights the growing role of online radicalization and hate-driven violence.
Panama’s Public Ministry is investigating the killing of prosecutor Patricia Ossa in Pueblo Nuevo as a suspected femicide. Authorities say the main suspect had a romantic relationship with the victim.
Panamanian prosecutor Patricia Ossa was shot and killed in Pueblo Nuevo on Monday night, and one person has been detained as investigators begin their work. The case is drawing attention because it targets a Public Ministry official assigned to homicide and femicide investigations.
A man accused in the E-Tax 2.0 case has been ordered held in provisional detention over an alleged fraud that prosecutors say cost Panama’s tax authority more than $500,000. The investigation, which began in 2023, already has seven people charged.
A 73-year-old U.S. citizen was detained in Puerto Armuelles, Chiriquí, and placed in provisional detention as Panama prepares for a possible extradition request from Oklahoma. He is wanted over alleged money laundering and foreign corruption offenses linked to bribes in Panama and Mexico.
Family and friends in Colón bid farewell to a 14-year-old basketball player and Colegio Abel Bravo student killed in the province. The case has renewed concern over violence affecting young people in Panama.
Customs officers in Chiriquí seized counterfeit Panama national team jerseys in the latest crackdown on fake merchandise. The case highlights the continuing market for illicit sports apparel and its impact on legitimate sellers.
Aaron Mizrachi is set for trial on June 3 in Panama’s Odebrecht money-laundering case after the Supreme Court reinstated him into the proceedings. Prosecutors say his company handled funds tied to Odebrecht’s secret payments network.
SENAFRONT apprehended a man in Darién after a domestic violence case escalated into machete threats against police units. The incident underscores the security and safety challenges authorities face in Panama’s remote eastern province.
Ten people, including a child, were killed in an armed attack on a home in Puebla, Mexico, prompting a major security operation. Authorities have opened an investigation and are searching for the gunmen.
A jury is hearing evidence on the 2019 La Joyita prison massacre, where a Bagdad gang split triggered a shootout that killed 15 inmates. The case highlights Panama’s wider prison security and organized crime problem.
