Maritime Panama Intercepts Large Drug Shipment.

Panama’s National Aeronaval Service (Senan) reported that it seized 1,148 packages of suspected drugs and captured three people during an operation carried out south of Jicarón Island, on the Pacific coast of the province of Veraguas. The institution also seized the vessel in which the suspects were traveling. Both the detainees and the vessel and cargo were placed at the disposal of the judicial authorities, who will determine criminal liability.

The operation was coordinated by the Drug Prosecutor’s Office and was part of the security actions included in the
Firmness Plan and the Protective Shield operation, two initiatives with which the Panamanian authorities seek to combat drug trafficking and other criminal structures. The National Air and Naval Service (SENAN) did not specify the type of substance contained in the 1,148 packages, nor did it report the total weight of the shipment. In Panama, however, packages seized in anti-drug operations typically weigh approximately 1 kilogram and, in most cases, contain cocaine.

The area where the procedure was carried out is located south of Jicarón Island, within Coiba National Park, a sector of the Panamanian Pacific that is part of the routes used by organizations dedicated to the transfer of drugs by sea. Authorities typically deploy patrols in coastal areas, ports, and territorial waters to detect suspicious vessels, hidden cargo, and movements linked to networks that transport illicit substances to markets in North America and Europe.