---
title: "Juicio Opens Over Deadly La Joyita Prison Massacre as Prosecutors Cite Gang Orders"
date: 2026-05-12
author: ""
url: https://panamadaily.news/2026/05/12/la-joyita-trial-massacre/
categories:
  - "Crime"
  - "News"
tags:
  - "Cholo Chorrillo"
  - "gang violence"
  - "La Joyita"
  - "Panama prisons"
  - "prison massacre"
  - "trial"
---

# Juicio Opens Over Deadly La Joyita Prison Massacre as Prosecutors Cite Gang Orders

## What Happened

A trial opened over the deadly December 17, 2019 clash inside La Joyita prison, where 13 inmates were killed and 11 others were wounded. Prosecutors say a chain of orders inside the Bagdad gang may have triggered the confrontation.

The case centers on 12 people accused of homicide and causing personal injuries against other detainees. The hearing began at 2:00 p.m. on Monday with the selection and swearing-in of a jury of conscience made up of five men and three women.

## Prosecutors’ Theory

During the opening statements, the Homicide and Femicide Prosecutor’s Office said an instruction allegedly issued by Rubén Camargo Clarke, also known as Cholo Chorrillo and identified as the head of the Bagdad gang, may have set off the violence. Prosecutors argued that inside the section holding about 200 inmates, an order was received to settle scores with a rival group of prisoners.

As part of the investigation, some inmates said an internal split within the Bagdad gang, led by Clarke, was what sparked the riot. Clarke is currently awaiting sentencing in the United States after being found guilty of conspiracy to traffic drugs into that country.

## How the Case Reached Trial

In February 2020, a guarantee judge formally charged 12 people for their alleged role in the killing of 13 prisoners and the injuries caused to 11 others. The prosecution later relied on testimony from three protected witnesses, whose statements linked several of the accused to the crime.

The trial is being heard under strict security measures at Building 727 in Balboa. The courtroom setting reflects the seriousness of a case that has remained one of the most violent episodes inside Panama’s prison system in recent years.

## Security and Broader Impact

After the violence at La Joyita, the National Police carried out searches and seized three AK-47 rifles, three 9 mm pistols, one .380-caliber pistol and a .38-caliber revolver. The investigation into how the weapons entered the prison is being handled separately by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office and will not be part of the trial.

The massacre led authorities to tighten security at the La Joya penitentiary complex, which houses La Joyita, and to open investigations into custodians and police officers assigned to guard the facility. The trial now puts renewed focus on gang control inside prisons and the challenges Panama faces in preventing armed violence behind bars.