Reporting on criminal incidents, investigations, and law enforcement responses across Panama. Stories focus on facts, community impact, and safety developments.
National Police and the Fiscalía Anticorrupción arrested five people in Veraguas, including a former corregimiento representative, in an investigation into alleged mismanagement of AND PDIS funds totaling $333,692.
Authorities detained a former Gatuncillo representative, two ex-treasurers and two merchants in Veraguas on suspicion of peculado, TVN 2 reported. The arrests relate to an alleged misuse of communal funds.
Hong Kong police have charged 10 more people in the JPEX cryptocurrency fraud case tied to alleged HK$1.6 billion in losses. The suspects face money laundering and conspiracy to launder money allegations after investigators found abnormal transactions linked to the scheme.
Panama’s Anti‑Corruption Prosecutor inspected the Fire Department headquarters on 26 March as part of a probe into roughly $20 million in procurement irregularities from 2022–2024. The investigation stems from a 2025 complaint after an internal audit found inconsistencies.
A backpacker was captured at La Joyita and authorities detected contraband deliveries by drone at La Joya, highlighting evolving methods used to smuggle items into Panama’s prisons.
Firefighters confirmed a 51-year-old Nicaraguan man was found dead among burned rubble after a fire in Río Abajo, Panama City; authorities are expected to investigate.
TVN 2 reports that Panama’s Anti‑Corruption Prosecutor’s Office carried out a diligencia at the main Fire Department headquarters on March 26, 2026, with directors, defense lawyers and those indicated present.
Operation Alborada, led by Senafront with national and U.S. partners, dismantled a Darién human-smuggling network in early 2026, arresting 19 suspects and disrupting migrant trafficking logistics.
A Penang man and woman were each jailed for 12 months after pleading guilty to a sexual act in the Batu Gantung Chinese Cemetery, convicted under Section 377D for gross indecency.
Residents of Loma Cová report a rise in crimes and are calling for increased surveillance and more police presence to improve safety in their neighborhood.
Authorities are investigating the discovery of a partially buried body in La Chorrera; initial reports say there were no obvious signs of trauma and forensic work will determine the cause and identity.
SENNIAF reported an incident at a Tocumen shelter involving material damage, theft of money and the escape of some adolescents. Authorities have not released further details.
A night-time disturbance at the CAI de Tocumen led to property damage, theft and the escape of several adolescents; Senniaf and other agencies launched searches and opened investigations.
A Paris criminal court sentenced Swiss scholar Tariq Ramadan to 18 years in prison after finding him guilty of raping three women; Ramadan, a former Oxford professor, has faced multiple allegations in France and Switzerland and has previously been convicted in Switzerland.
Panama has presented evidence to Venezuelan courts in its bid to extradite Ali Zaki Hage Jalil over the Alas Chiricanas flight 901 attack; a key hearing is expected amid procedural hurdles.
Savannah Guthrie made a tearful NBC News appeal for information after her 84-year-old mother was apparently abducted from her Arizona home, urging anyone with tips to come forward.
Eloy and César Ávila were moved from La Joyita to El Renacer on March 25, 2026; their defense has requested house arrest while a sentence review proceeds.
NBC co-anchor Savannah Guthrie made a tearful public appeal after her 84-year-old mother was reportedly abducted from her Arizona home, asking anyone with information to come forward.
A couple in Brisas del Golf was detained after allegedly using social media to offer fake jobs and defraud clients. They face charges for fraud against economic assets.
An incident at a Tocumen youth shelter caused damage and led to the escape of several adolescents; authorities activated security protocols and launched coordinated search operations.