17 Car Engines Seized at a Residence in Las Mañanitas Panama

Following Operation Forge, the National Police, through the Judicial Investigation Directorate, seized 17 car engines that presented various irregularities. They were handed over to the Public Prosecutor’s Office to determine their origin.  The operation took place during a search of a residence in the Las Mañanitas district, where eight engines were found with alterations, i.e., filed off numbers, and nine engines that do not have Panamanian registrations.  The sale of engines with filed numbers in the country is a criminal activity stemming from vehicle theft and robbery, where cars are stripped and then sold piece by piece, including the engines.  No one has been arrested in this case; however, the evidence gathered will be investigated to continue the investigation.

Las Mañanitas is a corregimiento (a type of administrative district) in Panama, specifically located within the Panama District and Panama Province. It is part of the metropolitan area of Panama City. The corregimiento was established in 2002.  Las Mañanitas is a populated area with a population of 39,473 as of 2010. It’s situated within the larger Panama City metropolitan area, making it a significant part of the region’s urban landscape. The area also includes a metro station named Las Mañanitas, which opened in 2019. 

In other auto news:  The Ministry of Energy announced fuel prices:

95-octane gasoline will be priced down two cents, to 0.92 cents per liter.

91-octane gasoline will drop by two cents, to 0.87 cents per liter.

Low-sulfur diesel will remain at its current price of 0.84 cents per liter.

Prices will be valid until 5:59 a.m. on Friday, July 25, 2025.