Six Inmates are Still at Large and Unanswered Questions Remain Regarding the La Joyita Prison Break in Panama.
Six prisoners remain at large and 12 guards have been dismissed, while the results of the investigation are still pending.
The June 1, 2026, mass breakout at La Joyita Penitentiary Center involved 195 escaping prisoners, with ongoing updates confirming that only a small number of fugitives remain at large while investigations and security shakeups persist.
Status of the Escapees.
- Total Escaped: 195 inmates fled during the June 1 riot and operational chaos.
- Recapture Efforts: Law enforcement operations (Operation Cerrojo) successfully tracked down the vast majority of the escapees.
- Remaining Fugitives: Recent updates from the Ministry of Government confirm that only six inmates remain at large.
Unanswered Questions and Impact.
- Internal Deaths: The precise circumstances surrounding the deaths of three inmates during the initial riot remain under official investigation.
- Official Accountability: The government has dismissed 12 prison officials in response to the security failures and suspected complicity.
- Systemic Changes: President José Raúl Mulino acknowledged a systemic “collapse” of the penal infrastructure, prompting controversial high-risk transfers to Coiba Island and plans for hardline, El Salvador-style prison tightening.
Eighty days after the massive escape from La Joyita prison, the issue continues to generate questions, and some of those questions remain unanswered. It is still unknown, for example, how the escape was orchestrated and who its main architects were. Furthermore, the causes of death of the three inmates who died that afternoon during the riot remain unknown. The Homicide Prosecutor’s Office, which took over the investigation into those deaths, has also not yet released its findings. The matter was debated again this Thursday, August 20, in the Budget Committee of the National Assembly, where the Minister of Government, Dinoska Montalvo pictured below, appeared to justify transfers of funds for $53 million.
According to the minister, of the 195 prisoners who escaped, six are still on the streets. She cited data from the National Police, the institution that, along with other state security agencies, was in charge of pursuing the prisoners. She also reported that 12 guards have been dismissed so far. These responses came after legislators pictured below such as José Pérez Barboni, of the Otro Camino Movement, and Luis Duke, of Vamos, inquired about the issue. Duke also inquired whether any of the dismissed individuals were still in the system.
Julissa Guerra, director of the Institutional Office of Human Resources, responded that none of the guards are part of the prison system, but that some filed appeals for reconsideration. The dismissed guards were those on duty the afternoon the prisoners escaped. In addition to these security agents, Jorge Torregroza, the man who served as head of the General Directorate of the Penitentiary System, is also no longer part of the prison structure. Torregroza resigned from the institution on June 19. However, his case was not mentioned in the Assembly. However, he remains in the public sector. He was hired as head of security for the Comptroller General’s Office.
