---
title: "Spike in Panama Homicides: Gang Wars, Drug Robberies and Contract Killings Raise Alarm"
date: 2026-03-16
modified: 2026-03-17
author: ""
url: https://panamadaily.news/panama-homicide-surge-2026/
categories:
  - "Crime"
  - "News"
  - "Politics"
tags:
  - "contract killings"
  - "Costa del Este"
  - "drug trafficking"
  - "gangs"
  - "homicides"
  - "National Police"
---

# Spike in Panama Homicides: Gang Wars, Drug Robberies and Contract Killings Raise Alarm

## What Happened

Panama has seen a recent rise in homicides in March even as official statistics updated to Feb. 22 from the Integrated Criminal Statistics System (SIEC) show overall figures remain lower than in 2015. National Police director Jaime Fernández has acknowledged the uptick and linked much of the violence to gang disputes, drug rip-offs and an increase in commissioned killings.

## Recent incidents

The surge includes high-profile and brutal incidents in different parts of the country: the murder of 37-year-old lawyer Nadine Silvera in Costa del Este, a shooting in Don Bosco, a woman killed inside a pickup truck, a charred body found in Chepo and the murder of a merchant in Chitré, Herrera. SIEC figures indicate most crimes are concentrated in the provinces of Panama, Colón and Panama Oeste.

## Drivers and police view

Police officials say the majority of homicides are linked to gang activity, criminal records and territorial disputes related to micro-trafficking. The police chief stated on TVN that it is “not normal” for victims to receive more than six gunshot wounds, which he says reinforces the hypothesis that roughly 80% of homicides are connected to gangs and local drug networks. Fernández also reported intelligence showing murder orders originating from inside prisons, prompting daily operations dubbed “Armageddon.” Fernández took charge of the agency in July 2024.

## Drug robberies and gang expansion

Authorities estimate that between 7% and 10% of drugs transiting Panama remain in the country as payment to local groups. That surplus fuels so-called “tumble” or drug robberies, which increase violence and can lead to executions. Operation Azuero at the end of February resulted in the arrest of 20 people in Los Santos and Herrera linked to micro-trafficking, with drugs, phones and cash seized during raids.

## Contract killings and foreign involvement

Security officials say contract killing has become more professionalized. Panama reportedly has a “file” of people dedicated to homicides, and authorities warn that some perpetrators come from abroad, travel to carry out assassinations and leave on commercial flights. Former National Border Service director Oriel Ortega said most involved are Panamanians, but that some foreign actors have been identified.

## Response and legal measures

More than 180 gangs operate in Panama, with heavy concentrations in San Miguelito and Colón. In recent years the Executive promoted legislation to strip assets from people linked to organized crime, but the proposal failed to get majority support in the National Assembly. President José Raúl Mulino has spoken about promoting a bill to financially undermine criminal organizations, but such measures have yet to be enacted.

## What This Means

Police say intensified operations and intelligence work are under way, while experts caution against automatically attributing every homicide to organized crime. Authorities face the twin tasks of identifying the root causes of individual killings and addressing the broader structures — drug flows, gang recruitment and prison-based coordination — that are driving the recent escalation.