Panama Heightens Hezbollah Terrorist Searches Among Migrants

Panamanian authorities have reported that members of Hezbollah, one of the most influential paramilitary groups in the Middle East, have been detected crossing the Darién jungle. Authorities also noted that these individuals are linked to groups involved in migrant smuggling.  Ministers of Security in various countries explained that the recent rise in migration has heightened alerts for individuals connected to terrorism.  However, no direct cases involving Hezbollah have been reported so far.  Other cases of individuals with links to terrorism, however, have been recorded. “Costa Rica has detained three individuals with international terrorism alerts: two Somalis linked to a little-known group and an Egyptian connected to Al Qaeda. Currently, we have a person from Kazakhstan, linked to ISIS, in custody. This migratory flow has brought individuals with a history of terrorism”.  Costa Rica and Panama share a database to identify terrorist groups, facilitating effective coordination.  “If Panama hadn’t detected them, we would have caught them here”.  

Costa Rica has implemented an advanced biometric system, funded by a U.S. government grant.  “This system, still in the process of being implemented, will allow for more accurate identification of individuals linked to terrorism passing through our country”.  The National Intelligence and Security Directorate (DIS) has confirmed that in recent years, Costa Rica has seen an increase in attempts by individuals associated with terrorist groups to enter the country.  Last year, DIS official Hans Sequeira explained that these individuals attempt to enter Costa Rica irregularly through the southern border, hidden among the flow of extra-continental migrants traveling through the region toward the U.S. The primary reason for choosing Costa Rica is the relative ease of entry amid the large number of migrants. For DIS, cooperation with other countries in the region is key to apprehending these individuals and ensuring their return to their countries of origin.