Two “coyotes” detained in Darien Gap
Two alleged “coyotes” or human traffickers were arrested and charged with migrant smuggling, after abandoning a group of four Venezuelans in the province of Darién, reported the Public Ministry.
The Darién Regional Prosecutor’s Office announced that the precautionary measure of provisional detention was imposed on the two citizens, after legalizing the arrest.
The incident occurred between June 26 and 27, when Venezuelan migrants reported that they were abandoned by coyotes while trying to cross the Darién jungle, between an area of the Guna Yala region, in the Panamanian Caribbean, and another of the Emberá region, both near the border with Colombia.
The Public Ministry explained that the migrants recognized the defendants by their clothing and physical appearance when they arrived at Canaán Membrillo, one of the first towns after crossing the jungle and the new entrance gate for passers-by.
The Darién plug, an inhospitable jungle, is used every year by thousands of migrants from all over the world on their way to North America. Due to its natural characteristics, and the presence of armed groups, it is considered one of the most dangerous routes in the world.
