The Story Behind the Murder of a Lawyer in Costa del Este Panama: Surveillance; Monitoring; and 10 Shots

The plot behind the murder of Nadine De Jesús Silvera Pereira, a 37-year-old Panamanian lawyer and translator, involves a meticulously planned hit-and-run surveillance operation that tragically ended in a case of mistaken identity.

The Core Incident

On the night of March 6, 2026, Silvera Pereira was shot and killed while riding in the passenger seat of a gray Honda Pilot SUV on Avenida Centenario in Costa del Este, Panama.

• The Assassination: Hitmen on a motorcycle targeted the vehicle directly, firing multiple shots in a targeted contract killing (sicariato).

• The Mistaken Target: Investigators revealed that the attack was actually intended for her partner, a 44-year-old Venezuelan national who was driving earlier. Minutes before the shooting, the couple had stopped at a restaurant and switched seats. The hitmen, executing their plan based on the vehicle’s initial layout, did not realize the swap had occurred, leaving the husband completely uninjured.

Surveillance and Monitoring Plot

The judicial investigation exposed a highly coordinated log of surveillance and preparation by the criminal network:

• The Stalking: A team of individuals used multiple vehicles to track, follow, and monitor the couple’s movements on the day of the attack.

• The Lookout: Key lookouts were stationed along the route to ensure the hitmen had a precise window of opportunity. An accomplice was identified driving a red getaway/surveillance vehicle on the scene.

• The Execution: To keep the hitmen close and synchronized, an accomplice even met with the contracted gunman right before the hit, buying them refreshments while finalizing the attack coordinates.

Investigation and Arrests

In June 2026, Panamanian authorities achieved a breakthrough in the case through Operación Temis:

• The Arrest: Police and the Homicide Prosecution Office tracked down and captured a 37-year-old suspect nicknamed “Derrick” during raids in La Ersa, Pedregal.

• Judicial Charges: A judge ordered provisional detention for the suspect, who is charged as a primary accomplice with aggravated intentional homicide and illicit association.

• Key Evidence: Investigators relied on street vendor testimonies, security camera tracking, and seized mobile phones to chart the surveillance ring. The prosecution continues to hunt for the remaining hitmen and the intellectual author behind the targeted hit.

The murder of lawyer Nadine Silvera, perpetrated on March 6, was a planned act that involved at least five people, one of them a minor known in the underworld as “Marshmallow,” who allegedly fired 10 shots at the vehicle in which the victim and her partner were traveling. According to the prosecution, De León allegedly participated in the logistics of the attack by transporting one of the alleged hitmen to the vicinity of the place where the crime occurred.