Reporting on criminal incidents, investigations, and law enforcement responses across Panama. Stories focus on facts, community impact, and safety developments.
A man’s body was found on the banks of the Río San Félix in Chiriquí; TVN 2 reports unofficially that he may have had Asian features. Authorities have not yet confirmed identity.
Two women’s bodies were found in Guna Nega on a road between Santa Librada Rural and Villa Cárdenas; police have confirmed the scene and opened an investigation.
A woman in Hong Kong was arrested on suspicion of child abuse after her 12-year-old son reported being beaten with a rattan cane; the boy was treated at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
A Panama court archived the PH Urbana Obarrio case and lifted precautionary measures after victims withdrew their complaints, a decision issued by Judge Sandra Enid Castillo at an SPA hearing.
Panamanian authorities, led by the Unidad Especializada de Personas Desaparecidas, are conducting active searches for 19-year-old Michael Wright, who has been reported missing in Pacora. Officials have appealed to the public for information.
Families of the disappeared urge Panama’s forensic institute to complete DNA testing on 35 boxes of remains recovered after the 1989 period, citing the need for resources and international forensic support.
Hong Kong police arrested five people and recovered nearly HK$100 million (about US$12.7 million) in stolen gold after a staged handover in Hung Hom, in a suspected deception case.
A drone strike near the Iraqi National Intelligence Service headquarters in Baghdad killed one police officer, with authorities blaming “outlaw groups.” The attack highlights the rising threat posed by weaponized drones to security forces and sensitive sites.
Guangzhou police say they have arrested a woman known as “Aunt Mei,” surnamed Xie, long suspected as an intermediary in a high‑profile child trafficking case; the probe is ongoing.
A brief EIN Presswire report says charges were filed against the captain of a Panamanian-flagged vessel that reportedly carried about 55,000 gallons of contraband fuel. Details remain limited pending official disclosures.
Relatives of victims of Panama’s 1968–1989 military dictatorship say a five-year settlement with the State remains unfulfilled, with reparations, memorials and prosecutions still pending as lawmakers consider Bill 442 to mark July 9 as a day of remembrance.
A National Assembly proposal to bar the Public Prosecutor from appealing acquittals has raised constitutional and due-process concerns, with critics saying it would block judicial review and undermine the rule of law in Panama.
An opinion piece in La Prensa says Panama is failing children in state care, citing documented abuse since 2021, exploitation networks in regions like Bocas del Toro, and weak institutional responses. It urges systemic reform and adherence to international recommendations.
Family, friends and colleagues in Juan Díaz mourned Eusebia de Suárez, an Autoridad de Aseo worker nicknamed “la hormiguita,” who died after being struck by a vehicle described as a “diablo verde.”
Telemetro reports a man returning home after buying bread was shot in Colón city; no further details on identity, condition, or suspects have been released.
Three Hong Kong officers fired five shots at a man who charged with a serrated knife and metal rod near Tsuen Wan MTR early Saturday, police said. Authorities described the suspect as possibly mentally ill.
A La Prensa op-ed spotlights Project of Law 510 by deputy Jairo Salazar, proposing prison or fines for knowingly claiming false paternity; the bill passed a first commission vote on March 11, 2026.
Panama’s National Police are investigating an alleged internal network of officers accused of stealing and selling institutional vehicles. A March 18 operation recovered a Toyota Corolla and a discarded institutional motorcycle in Chiriquí, and one civilian was detained.
A student in Veraguas was injured with a bladed weapon and taken to a medical center; local authorities have opened an investigation and details remain limited.
Operators of illicit “ghost oil” stations in Hong Kong are reportedly earning up to HK$10,000 a day by smuggling untaxed petrol using vehicles with enlarged tanks and selling via coded messages, amid a fuel-price spike following strikes in the Middle East.