US-flagged vessel attacked and robbed by an armed gang in Las Perlas

The National Aeronaval Service (SENAN) confirmed that on Monday night a group of four people violently assaulted US citizens who were in a US-flagged vessel anchored in the area near San Miguel Island. Wielding machetes and firearms they stole cell phones, cash, and a camera.

It is the second assault with similar characteristics in Las Perlas On February 9, a 75-year-old man was also robbed on his sailboat with the United States flag, when he was off the island of Espiritu Santo.

The authorities are patrolling the area to find the criminals. “We deployed personnel to intensify verification in ports, air and sea patrols,” Major Walter Hernández, SENAN’s head of Plans and Orders, told La Prensa. Hernández clarified that there is still no pattern to determine if it is an organized group or common robberies, without any connection.

Las Perlas is the first stop for yachts after transiting through the Panama Canal. It is also a tourist destination where hundreds of sailboats pass with passengers who want, to visit or spend a few days in the area.

An alert circulated among sailors anchored in the Causway: “If you are in the Las Perlas area, we urge you to leave.” “They are assaulting the sailboats with an armed force and it is very, very sad. They are going to affect the plaza badly.”