The Day the ‘Bagdad’ Gang Split up in a Hail of Bullets: Hell in La Joyita

It could have been a much greater tragedy. On December 17, 2019, 13 inmates died in La Joyita prison, but at the time of the shootout in pavilion 14 of the prison, there were 200 inmates trying to escape from their cells, after learning that the Bagdad gang had split and there was an order to attack the dissidents.  A jury composed of five men and three women closely follows the allegations, expert statements, and witnesses presented by the prosecution regarding how the events unfolded that day.

The “Bagdad Gang” (also known as the Bagdad syndicate) is one of Panama’s largest criminal organizations and drug federations. They were heavily involved in a deadly internal gang shootout on December 17, 2019, at La Joya/La Joyita prison in Panama, which left 15 inmates dead.

Key Details Regarding the Bagdad Syndicate and their Presence at the Facility

• The 2019 Massacre: The violence in December 2019 was triggered by an internal dispute and ideological split between different factions of the Bagdad gang housed inside block 14 of the La Joya prison complex. Inmates used smuggled assault rifles and handguns to execute one another.
• The Syndicate’s Power: Bagdad is a massive criminal federation composed of 30 to 40 smaller gangs operating primarily on Panama’s Pacific coast. They specialize in moving Colombian cocaine north and stealing drug shipments from rival groups like Calor Calor.
• Prison Control: Due to extreme overcrowding and understaffing within the Panamanian prison system—including facilities like La Joya, La Joyita, and Nueva Joya—gangs often wield significant power. Inmates were housed by their gang affiliations, which allowed large criminal organizations like Bagdad to control entire cell blocks, smuggle in high-caliber weapons, and run operations from inside the jail.

For more context on the gang’s operations and organized crime in the region, you can review InSight Crime’s Bagdad Profile or the full history of the prison complex via the Wikiwand La Joyita Prison page.