Trending 
Panama has intercepted a major shipment of cocaine in the Pacific Ocean, seizing around 12 tonnes of the drug and arresting 10 people, authorities revealed on Tuesday. Prosecutor Julio Villareal said the operation, carried out on Monday, resulted in one of the largest drug hauls ever recorded in Panamanian waters.
The ferry carrying the illegal cargo had departed from Colombia and was heading for the United States, the world’s biggest consumer of cocaine. Among those arrested were nationals from Venezuela, Ecuador and Nicaragua, according to Villareal.
Panama remains a crucial transit corridor for narcotics smuggled from South America towards North American markets. The country confiscated a total of 119 tonnes of drugs in 2023.
The announcement comes as the United States increases its military presence in Latin America under the banner of anti-narcotics operations. At least 76 people have reportedly been killed in recent US strikes against vessels suspected of transporting drugs in both the Caribbean and the Pacific.
Washington maintains the deployment is aimed at curbing drug trafficking, but governments such as Venezuela’s fear the campaign may be a pretext for attempts to unseat its president, Nicolás Maduro.
