Reporting on criminal incidents, investigations, and law enforcement responses across Panama. Stories focus on facts, community impact, and safety developments.
Panama’s Ministerio Público is asking the public for help locating 19-year-old Michael Roberto Wright Small, last seen in Pacora’s Cabra sector wearing dark clothing and a cap.
Panama’s National Police are being investigated over an alleged network involved in vehicle theft and illegal vehicle sales; raids were carried out and one person detained.
A lawyer for the mother of a nine-month-old in Veraguas says there is no evidence of abuse and accuses authorities of irregularities in the child’s transfer to Panama City.
A judge has charged a former Ifarhu regional director and a merchant in a probe over alleged mismanagement of $145,000 tied to the PASE-U scholarship program; anticorruption prosecutors have appealed the precautionary measures.
Costa Rica has targeted former Supreme Court justice Celso Gamboa in what has been described as the country’s first extradition to the U.S., after U.S. accusations he used government ties to traffic cocaine.
The US military says it struck an alleged drug‑trafficking vessel in the Pacific, killing two and leaving three survivors, but offered no further details in its initial statement.
Panama police conducted “Armageddon XXXVII” at La Joya Penitentiary in Pacora, reporting major seizures; the largest prison in Panama is already known for severe overcrowding.
Three victims of IRA bombings withdrew a civil damages claim against Gerry Adams on the final day of a two-week trial, ending efforts to link him legally to the attacks.
Panamanian authorities seized more than 1,000 drug packages hidden in a container at a Panamá Oeste port; the shipment was scheduled for transshipment in Belgium and final delivery to Lithuania.
Aaron ‘Ronny’ Mizrachi’s lawyer, Basilio Enrique González, disputes La Prensa’s reporting, saying Mizrachi only received 2009 Odebrecht donations and denies later transfers or payments to other named individuals.
Civilians in Guerrero fought back against a cartel siege with AK-47s and grenades, highlighting how an increasing number of armed groups and vigilantes can be absorbed or armed by criminal organizations.
Hong Kong police are hunting three suspects after a Hung Hom shop reportedly lost 73kg of gold bars, valued at an estimated US$12 million, in a suspected deception case.
Panama’s National Police executed Operation Armageddon XXXVII at La Joya Penitentiary in Pacora, seizing weapons, drugs, phones and a Starlink antenna as part of ongoing security efforts.
Authorities arrested a former IFARHU official and a merchant on March 20, 2026, in an investigation into alleged embezzlement of scholarship funds tied to IFARHU’s Panama East office.
A judge-led inquiry heard that residents in Tai Po were steered toward a convicted contractor amid widespread bid‑rigging, and that a consultant allegedly accepted a stipend to rubber‑stamp tenders.
A 51-year-old man, Luis Castillo, died in a rollover on the road to Chiriquicito in Boquete after hitting a drop in the surface linked to repair work; authorities have launched an investigation.
Chinese prosecutors have indicted former Shaolin Temple abbot Shi Yongxin on charges including embezzlement and bribery, Xinhua reports, four months after his arrest.
US preparations for FIFA World Cup 2026 are reportedly lagging after funding stalls, raising concerns about security at events and potential impacts on international fans, including those from Panama and Latin America.
Panamanian police and prosecutors arrested a former IFARHU regional director and a merchant in an alleged embezzlement of scholarship checks and beneficiary cards; the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office is handling the case.
Hong Kong police arrested 13 people accused of laundering more than HK$113 million via the government’s iAM Smart digital ID app, using victims’ accounts and mule bank accounts often tied to fake job ads.