In the Pearl Islands Archipelago in Panama, Air and Naval Forces Seize 5 Tons of Drugs on a Vessel

The first major seizure of 2026 occurred at Playa Bongo, on King Island, in the Pearl Islands archipelago in the Pacific, where a vessel ran aground in a rocky area after fleeing from police with several crew members on board, according to a Senan agent.  The officers had signaled the boat to stop because it was acting suspiciously, but its occupants ignored the warnings and fled. They eventually crashed into the rocks. The suspected drug traffickers, who managed to escape, abandoned the boat “with 5,356 packages” of drugs.  Neither the National Air and Naval Service (SENAN) nor the Drug Prosecutor’s Office specified the type of substance seized.  However, according to the images released, they show packages of approximately one kilogram, very similar to those commonly used for transporting cocaine. 

In collaboration with the Drug Prosecutor’s Office, the merchandise was transferred to the Capitán de Fragata Noel Antonio Rodríguez naval base for the corresponding procedures.  On December 31, Panamanian Security Minister Frank Ábrego stated that 2025 was a “particularly challenging” year for Panama due to the “overproduction of drugs in the region,” where Colombia has been registering a sharp increase in the supply of cocaine.  In addition, seizures destined for Belgium, France, Spain and the United Kingdom have increased in in Panamanian Caribbean ports over the last two years.  Panama is the gateway into Central America for cocaine, mainly from Colombia, that tries to reach the United States, the main consumer market for this drug.  Since 2023, Panamanian police have seized more than 360 tons of drugs. Last year they seized more than 118 tons, including a record seizure of 13,500 kilos.