U.S. Coastguards seize 1,493 kilos of cocaine off Guna Yala,

HOPE II, a vessel flying the Panama flag and carrying more than 1,493 kilos of cocaine was arrested in international waters, by the United States Coast Guard.

The capture took place 55 miles north of El Porvenir, in Guna Yala on August 28, and first reported to U.S. media on
Thursday, September 3, but without specifying the place where the seizure occurred.
Commissioner Nonato Lopez, COO of Senan, Panama’s National Air Service, said Panama’s participation was limited to giving permission to the United States Coast Guard to board because Hope II was flying the Panama flag.
Lopez said that Panama was not involved in the operation and that the crew were not Panamanians and its capture was in international waters. According to Lopez, the permit for boarding was made in compliance with the Salas-Becker agreement

“We verified with the Panama Maritime Authority that the vessel was Panama registered and, once confirmed permission was given for the approach,” he said.
Lopez reported that eight crew were six Colombians, a Guatemalan and a Dominican.The detainees will be tried in the United States.
Until August 2014, Senan agents have seized 4,089 kilos of drugs: 35 people have been arrested, including 14 Panamanians eight Colombians, two Hondurans nine Bengalis and six Nepalis.
The National Naval Air Service in 2013 seized a total of 20.5 tons of drugs, of which 19.4 tons were cocaine and over a ton of marijuana.