Reporting on criminal incidents, investigations, and law enforcement responses across Panama. Stories focus on facts, community impact, and safety developments.
Complaints from teachers inside Panama’s education system helped trigger a probe at Meduca into alleged fake university diplomas. The ministry has opened a confidential channel for citizens to report suspicious cases.
Educators’ complaints led Panama’s Education Ministry to uncover an alleged fake diploma scheme tied to teacher hiring and promotion. More than 30 officials are under scrutiny, and the ministry has filed over 141 criminal complaints since July 2024.
A suspected car bomb and gunfire attack on a police checkpoint in Bannu, northwest Pakistan, killed more than a dozen people. The assault highlights ongoing militant violence in a volatile border region.
Two Panamanians were detained in Chiriquí after allegedly transporting irregular migrants. The migrants were transferred for administrative processing and status verification.
Sixteen people, including a minor, were detained during the second weekend of mobility restrictions in two corregimientos of San Miguelito. The measure is part of local efforts to confront crime in the district.
Panama’s authorities have seized more than 34 tons of drugs so far in 2026 and prosecuted 1,435 people tied to narcotrafficking. More than 8 tons were intercepted at ports destined for different continents.
A 14-year-old was shot and killed in Cativá, Colón, after going out for a haircut, marking the second minor killed in less than a week amid violent incidents. The case adds to growing concern over gun violence affecting young people in Panama.
A car bomb attack near a security post in Bannu, northwest Pakistan, killed three police officers and highlighted ongoing militant violence in the region. The strike underscores the fragile security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Four men were detained in Chiriquí after authorities seized 1,300 kilos of cocaine, along with weapons and vehicles believed used to transport the drugs. The case highlights Panama’s continuing battle against trafficking routes in the west of the country.
MOCA leader Ricardo Lombana has asked Ancón representative Yamireth Batista to resign from the party as prosecutors investigate alleged misuse of public funds and workplace harassment. The case has triggered internal disciplinary action and renewed scrutiny of local public spending.
Panama prosecutors say the Belisario Porras Community Board was used to divert pandemic aid, causing a $7.3 million loss. The case involves allegations that 240 people received funds without justification.
Two Panamanians were detained in Tolé during an operation targeting the irregular transport of migrants. Authorities have increased controls on alternate routes used to bypass the Guabalá checkpoint.
Panamanian authorities seized more than one ton of drugs in the first eight days of May, alongside 170,730 citizen verifications during nationwide controls. The figures highlight ongoing anti-drug and public security operations across the country.
Panama prosecutors allege that the Belisario Porras community board was used to divert $7.3 million in public funds between 2019 and 2024. Seven women were charged as part of a wider anti-corruption push targeting decentralization money.
Panama’s Public Prosecutor’s Office has reported the disappearance of Tyler Haase González, last seen in Arraiján on May 2 at about 9:00 p.m. The case highlights the urgency of missing-person investigations in the Panama metropolitan area.
Two teenagers, ages 15 and 17, were ordered detained over a violent robbery and attempted homicide on Panama City’s Avenida Balboa. The case, captured on security cameras, has renewed attention on safety in one of the capital’s busiest corridors.
Residents of Calle Capitán in La Chorrera are asking for security cameras and stronger police patrols after a rise in violent incidents. The community wants more protection, especially at night.
San Miguelito’s curfew has entered its second week, with police strengthening operations after 125 detentions during the first weekend. Residents have voiced support for the measure as enforcement continues.
Panama National Police arrested a third suspect, a minor, in the robbery and assault of an elderly couple on Avenida Balboa in Panama City. The case has raised concern over safety in one of the capital’s busiest areas.
Carlos Pérez Herrera, former representative of San Francisco, has been charged with alleged embezzlement in a case tied to decentralization funds. The case highlights continued scrutiny over the use of public money in Panama’s local governments.