The National Police conducted a surprise urine test to all staff of the institution, as a measure of control to detect the use of illicit substances by police officers. The test was ordered by the Director General of the National Police, Gustavo Perez. (TVN)

Editor's Comment: When I was in the military they would conduct surprise "piss tests" all the time. I worked in elite units and everyone had security clearances, and those tests caught practically no one (but, we kept having to do them anyway.) I can only imagine how many Panamanian police officers are going to get "popped" on this test. This is the first time that I can remember hearing about an institution-wide testing program, conducted by surprise, across the board, on the same day. Man, no one had time to study...

Units of Panama's National Naval Air Service (SENAN) seized 248 kilos of cocaine in Punta Chame. Two Colombian nationals were arrested in this SENAN operation dubbed "San Benito 1". According to reports, the suspects were traveling in boat when they noticed the presence of the law enforcement authorities, so they began throwing the drugs into the ocean in an attempt to dispose of the evidence. The following day SENAN units patrolling the area recovered eight packages containing 248 kilos of cocaine. (TVN)

Editor's Comment: It actually happens relatively frequently in Panama. There are so many drug busts that go down just like this. The bad guys get spotted and chased so they dump their load. Maybe these guys didn't have eight packages, maybe they had twenty. Then later someone is walking along the beach and they stumble upon one of these bundles that has washed up on the shore. They contact their local drug dealer and sell it to him for thousands of dollars. You can hear stories like this in most of the little po-dunk villages along both coasts, about a person who never had anything and then all of a sudden she's got the money to fix up her house, buy a car, get satellite television installed, etc. Gives a whole new meaning to "beach combing".

The Directorate of Judicial Investigation (DIJ) is working to verify if the possible perpetrators of the four homicides that occurred on a roadway near Sector 4 of the village of Pacora, are members of Mexican organized crime, said a source familiar with the investigation. The source said ten subjects, their faces covered by ski masks, took part in the slaughter perpetrated in Pacora on the morning of 1 January 2012. The authorities examine the similarity with which the bodies were left, one on top of the other, and the presence of a burning car, with scenes reported elsewhere daily.

Investigation: A report says the victims were intercepted by three vehicles on the Inter American Highway near Tataré, in the district of Chepo The bodies belong to Domitilo Estrada Rodríguez, 34; Gilberto Samudio, 30; Maikol Villarreal, 18; and Benjamín Crespo Villarreal, 16. All were residents of Sector 4 in Pacora. The car in which they traveled, a Toyota Corolla with license plate number 380000, had been burned by the criminals. It is assumed the murders occurred at about 4:00 in the morning. Among the deceased were close family members, two of them were cousins.

Were They Sprayed With Acid? Two of the four bodies had bullet holes in different parts of their anatomy, two others had burns on their face, so it is presumed they were sprayed with a chemical. This part is being checked by the staff of the Institute of Legal Medicine.

Dangerous Area: It is suspected the area where the bodies were found is used for drug trafficking and drug thefts. At the beginning of last year in the Eastern part of Panama, the loss of more than 200 kilos of cocaine and $500,000 dollars was reported, to the detriment of a criminal organization. This situation led to more than five murders in Pacora. (Critica)

Built at a cost of more than $1.7 million dollars, the government of Panama recently inaugurated the new Naval Base on Coiba Island, in the Southern part of the province of Veraguas, which will be used to help control drug trafficking and illegal fishing. The base has administrative buildings and jail cells which will be used for captured drug traffickers. Panama's Security Minister Jose Raul Mulino said the buildings of the old prison are still there, as well as the El Marañón cemetery, where there are human remains that have not been identified. He announced that starting next year all of the new radar systems will be installed at the bases located in Bahía Piña, Coiba, Quebrada de Piedra, Puerto Mutis and Chapera on the Pacific coast of Panama. The director of the National Aero Naval Service Belsi Gonzalez said at least 5 boats have been spotted doing illegal fishing in the marine sanctuary. The air base also features a 380 meter long pier for ships to dock, as well as a runway with hangars, which will provide security to institutions who run the National Park. (Critica)

Editor's Comment: There was a notorious prison located on Coiba island for years - Panama's version of Alcatraz.

The U.S. Treasury Department announced Thursday that it has issued sanctions against two Lebanese-Colombian men suspected of laundering money for drug cartels operating in Mexico and Colombia. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said that Jorge Fadlallah Cheaitelly and Mohamad Zouheir El Khansa are allegedly involved in laundering proceeds from drug traffickers through networks in Panama and Colombia. OFAC also named nine other individuals and 28 entities in Colombia, Panama, Lebanon, and Hong Kong with ties to Cheaitelly and El Khansa.

“Jorge Fadlallah Cheaitelly runs an extensive money laundering network based in Panama and Colombia with ties to Mexico, Lebanon, and Hong Kong,” said Adam J. Szubin, director of OFAC. “By designating these individuals and companies we are exposing a significant international money laundering network, forcing them out of the international financial system, and undermining their ability to launder drug money through a global support network for the Mexican and Colombian drug cartels.”

The actions against the two men came after investigations from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the New York City Police Department. As with similar actions taken against members of Mexico’s drug cartels, the sanction’s block any assets the two men have in the U.S. and also prevent Americans from doing business with them.

Jorge Fadlallah Cheaitelly allegedly leads the Panama-based drug trafficking and money laundering organization that has operation throughout Latin America as well as the Middle East and Hong Kong. Along with the 28 companies controlled by the two men, the OFAC sanctions targeted key members of the Cheaitelly/El Khansa criminal organization in the Colombian cities of Cali, Barranquilla and Maicao.

The Treasury Department released a chart of the associates and businesses connected to the Cheaitelly/El Khansa organization.

One of the businesses targeted in the action, Junior International S.A., was previously controlled by Ayman Joumaa, who was sanctioned in January under the Treasury Department’s Kingpin Act. The Kingpin Act targets the financial networks of significant foreign narcotics traffickers and their organizations worldwide.

Joumaa was charged earlier this month in the U.S. with cocaine distribution and money laundering through the Lebanese Canadian Bank. With the permission of the U.S, the assets were purchased by a Beirut-based branch of Societe Generale after the Treasury Department issued a finding against it as a “primary money-laundering concern,” according to the Wall Street Journal.

“These criminals and their entities operate in the shadows, using sophisticated means and various business fronts to launder drug trafficking proceeds worldwide,” said Michele M. Leonhart, Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Administrator. “These traffickers and businesses fuel drug trafficking, violence, and corruption. The United States Government will use all available law enforcement tools to attack and defeat these global criminal networks and their facilitators.”

Panama, along with other countries and territories throughout the Caribbean, such as the Cayman Islands and the Bahamas, have become well-known hotspots for money laundering due to their questionable banking regulations. “Panama’s geographic proximity to the world’s largest cocaine producer, combined with its developed international banking sector, canal, and free trade zone make Panama particularly vulnerable to persons who seek to launder the proceeds of narcotics trafficking and other crimes,” wrote James F. Sloan, the former director of the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. (Fox News Latino)

Isaac Mosquera, the owner of the Instituto Superior de Aviación Albrook Flight, will remain in jail under the orders of the First Anti Drug Prosecutor. Mosquera's lawyer, Victor Orobio, confirmed that his client will remain in detention, however he said they are advancing a request for bail, and for the investigation to enter the preliminary stages. Orobio stated they are looking to clarify the facts, and to show that his client had been the victim of bad information received by the Attorney General. The Instituto Superior de Aviación Albrook Flight was closed after it was detected that it was being used as a front for the smuggling of drugs from Colombia. (Telemetro)

An operation by the First Anti Drug Prosecutor of Panama and his counterpart in Costa Rica ended yesterday with the arrest of six people, Panamanians and Colombians, allegedly linked to a money laundering network operating in the banking area. The First Anti Drug Prosecutor executed a search warrant on the company Eurocambio yesterday, located on Calle Ricardo Arias, because it is suspected that it was used by a network to launder large sums of money from Mexico that entered Panama by way of Costa Rica. Judicial sources said yesterday the operation began Sunday afternoon with the arrest in Paso Canoa, in Chiriqui, of a Colombian citizen who appears as the owner of the company. In the operation, the prosecution also searched a building in San Francisco, in the capital, and seized cash, several vehicles and documents of the criminal organization. A source within the First Anti Drug Prosecutor's office said an undercover operation between the Costa Rican and Panamanian authorities "laid bare an intricate operation to launder money and traffic drugs." Euocambio is a currency exchange handling the euro, the Colombian peso and dollar. (Prensa)

Panama and the United States agreed today to create a bilateral commission to combat drug trafficking and money laundering in the Central American country, with a support fund of about $36 million to finance its various programs, officials said. Panamanian Foreign Minister, Roberto Henriquez, said after a meeting with representatives from the Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) of the United States, the commission will look into potential projects to be developed to combat organized crime. Henriquez said in a press release issued by the Panamanian Foreign Ministry the $36 million dollars represents 70% of the approximately $52 million dollars raised through the auction of gold seized in the case of "Speed Joyeros" that happened in Panama in late 2000. According to local publications of the time, the company "Speed Joyeros", located in the Colon Free Trade Zone, was used by a criminal network to launder money through trafficking in gold. The U.S. delegation was headed by the charge d'affaires of the United States Embassy in Panama, John Law. (Panama America)

Editor's Comment: Here's some background on this. The money laundering operation in Panama was shut down and the seized assets (boxes full of gold and jewelry) were shipped back to the United States and liquidated. And now $36 million dollars of that money is being turned back around to be used in Panama to fight drug trafficking and money laundering. At the speed of government. The original investigation started back in the late 90's. The first arrests were in September and October 2000. It took more than eleven years for the court cases to wander through the system and for the seized assets to be turned around and put to good use. Ironically this is one time government incompetence actually paid off. When the first defendant was busted in September 2000 gold was at about $270 per ounce. Today gold is at about $1595 per ounce - an increase of 490%. But what's this "bilateral commission" going to do, anyway? $36 million dollars is a lot of money. Hey, I know this dude who's selling some really nice Italian radars...

WILMINGTON - Federal prosecutors on Monday announced the unsealing of an indictment charging 12 people with smuggling and attempting to smuggle cocaine and heroin from Panama into the United States. Authorities said the ring distributed cocaine and heroin to street-level dealers in downtown Wilmington; Elkton, Md.; and Avondale and Kennett Square, Pa. All defendants named in the 20-count superseding indictment, including a former Wilmington resident wanted on an outstanding murder warrant, are charged with possession with intent to distribute five or more kilograms of cocaine and one or more kilograms of heroin, and conspiracy to smuggle similar amounts of those drugs. Each of those charges carries a mandatory prison term of 10 years upon conviction, and a maximum sentence of life.

Assistant United States Attorney Robert Kravetz said the smuggling network involved female couriers who tried to cross the border between Mexico and Texas with packets of uncut cocaine and heroin sewn into Lycra shorts, using a cucumber-aloe mixture to try to thwart drug-sniffing dogs. After several couriers were arrested using that method, the smugglers resorted to sewing packets of drugs into hair weaves and wigs. After receiving the drugs in Panama, the couriers traveled by bus or plane to Mexico, then attempted to cross on foot into the United States at Texas border towns including Laredo, McAllen and Brownsville. Authorities said 10 of the defendants named in the indictment are either in custody or under supervised release, including three alleged couriers in Panama for whom authorities are seeking extradition.

But the two alleged Panama-based ringleaders, Efrain Dixon and Benjamin Carpenter, are still at large, authorities said. Kravetz said Dixon, 31, fled to Panama City after a warrant was issued for his arrest in connection with a 2006 murder in Wilmington. Dixon and Carpenter are believed to be based in Colon, Panama, according to authorities. "We've had extensive cooperation with authorities in Panama," Kravetz said. Kravetz said Ronaldo Edmund, 36, of Wilmington is related to Dixon and Carpenter was a key player in the alleged smuggling ring. According to authorities, Edmund, along with Kelvin Cook, 33, of Newark, and Julio Archer, 39, of Philadelphia, recruited the couriers to travel to Panama to get the drugs from Carpenter and Dixon. Kravetz said Edmund, who was arrested in June, would meet the couriers in San Antonio, then drive or take a Greyhound bus back to Wilmington. Edmund, Archer and Cook remain in custody. Lawyers for all three men did not immediately return telephone messages Monday.

Authorities said 10 couriers have been arrested in the United States and nine in Panama. Four have pleaded guilty to smuggling charges and been sentenced in federal court in Texas, and another, Tissany Buckham is awaiting sentencing in federal court in Delaware after pleading guilty in August. Buckham's attorney did not immediately return a telephone message Monday. Kravetz estimated that the drug network allegedly smuggled or attempted to smuggle at least 15 kilograms of cocaine and five kilograms of heroin over a three-year period starting in 2008.

A total of 690 kilos of suspected cocaine were confiscated by the units of the Pacific Battalion of the State Border Service (SENAFRONT) between Morros island and Centinella island in the community of Piña, in the province of the Darién. The seizure comes after a chase mounted by SENAFRONT units in the early morning hours of Saturday morning, after they ordered a boat that was headed for Jaque to halt. During the chase the two men who were aboard the boat threw themselves into the water and abandoned the cargo, said the Director of the SENAFRONT Frank Abrego. According to Abrego they arrested a 45 year old Colombian man with a 9 mm pistol. He is now under the orders of the Anti Drug Prosecutor's Office.

Abrego explained the boat had two outboard motors, one of 200 hp and another of 75 hp. They also found another firearm, two cellular telephones, and the cocaine wrapped in 28 packages.

Drug Traffickers Changing Tactics - During 2011 there have been fewer seizures due to changes in tactics by the drug traffickers. Smaller boats with lesser carrying capacity are being used as distractions, said the Anti Drug Prosecutor Javier Caraballo. According to Caraballo, so far this year they have seized more than 30 tons of cocaine and arrested more than 600 people. (Siglo)

A confrontation between units of the State Border Service and "narco terrorists" occurred in the area near Alto Turia, close to Madugandí, in the province of the Darién, as reported on Telemetro by the Director of this entity Frank Abrego. According to Abrego, the confrontation resulted in no injuries, however for security reasons they have expanded their patrols in the border area with Colombia in conjunction with units from the National Aero Naval Service (Senan). (Telemetro)

Editor's Comment: In the area the patrols found camps and planted crops that do not belong to the local residents. Obviously these camps were being used by the "narco terrorists" in the region. The SENAFRONT patrols are now getting within six kilometers of the Colombian border. The more they get out and patrol, the more they run into Colombians who are doing illegal things in the jungle. Go figure - search, and ye shall find. Sit at your base and ye shant find shit. None of the SENAFRONT troops were hurt by the gunfire but some of there were gassed out (exhausted) by the patrol and eaten up by bugs. Chasing bad guys around in the jungle is tough duty, and the SENAFRONT guys are getting better at it all the time - as they get more training and practical experience.

David, Chiriquí - As part of "Operation Relámpago" (Lightning), narcotics agents of the National Police seized 182 kilos of cocaine. In the operation they arrested the driver of an 18 wheeler - a blue Freightliner truck with license plate number 836356. Marcos Cordova, head of the police in the area of Chiriqui, said the drugs were hidden in suitcases. Investigations in this care are continuing, said Cordoba. (Prensa)

One of the three men who escaped last week from Boná island, between Otoque and Punta Chame, was captured by units of the National Naval Service (SENAN) this week. As reported by the Deputy Commissioner Osvaldo Urena, the capture was achieved after monitoring operations after 292 kilos of cocaine were seized from a boat on that island last week. He said the next day they seized another 110 kilos of cocaine, making a total of 402 kilos of drugs. Urena said the presumed drug trafficker was captured on 6 December 2011, who is now under investigation. (TVN)

Isaac Mosquera, the owner of the aviation school Albrook Flight School, presented himself today to be interrogated by the First Anti Drug Prosecutor, after being a fugitive since April. Mosquera, upon arriving at the prosecutor's office, said he was innocent of the accusations being made against him and his lawyer would prove it. The owner of the Albrook Flight School is being investigated for alleged money laundering offenses and drug trafficking. The school was considered to be a front for drug trafficking and suspected of having links to drug trafficking and to the FARC Colombian guerrillas. (Critica)

A K-9 unit of the National Police assigned to the Tocumen International Airport detected five packages of cocaine in a piece of luggage. The substance belonged to a 51 year old Spanish man, and it was found in the bottom of a suitcase with a false bottom. He was scheduled to board an airplane destined for Atlanta in the United States. (TVN)

A total of 278 packages of cocaine were seized from a car, after a raid by police in hours of midnight, near the port of Balboa. As reported, in this way the police dismantled a group dedicated to the international transfer of drugs through containers destined for Europe. At the scene police also seized two cars, including the one carrying the drugs. Two Panamanians were arrested. (TVN)

Editor's Comment: As I went walking to lunch this afternoon I tripped over something in the street. It was a kilo of cocaine. Then someone threw something out of the window of an apartment - it was a suitcase filled with $5 million dollars in cash. I dodged that, but then the car full of AK-47's almost ran me over as I tried to cross the street. Distracted by four Colombian hookers in miniskirts, I struck up a conversation with a nice Canadian fellow, who turned out to be a convicted ponzi scheme artist on the run from the authorities. I turned him in to the authorities but he just paid a bribe and was set free. Just another day in paradise. At least the public healthcare system is safe, there's not many protests or too much traffic, it never rains, and the drinking water is the best in the world. Hey, what's that ticking sound coming from under my desk?

A corporal of the National Police was killed and a sergeant of the Naval Air Service was injured during an anti drug operation at sea, in which 15 kilos of cocaine was seized. The incident occurred on Wednesday night in Escribano, between Colon and San Blas, on the upper coast of the province of Colon. Corporal Luis Abrego, 32, assigned to the Tactical Anti Drug Operations Unit of the National Police, died as a result of gunfire from his fellow officers assigned to the Naval Air Service and Drug Enforcement. Apparently the seizure of the drugs had already taken place when the Naval Air Service officers arrived on two boats, and in the darkness they could not distinguish the police officers and they opened fire. In the same incident sergeant Censión García, 39, of the Naval Air Service was shot in the buttocks. He was taken to the hospital in Colon. The Public Ministry recovered Abrego's corpse yesterday morning. His body showed two visible bullet wounds, one in the chest and one in the arm. (Critica)

Editor's Comment: Yeah, that's what I though initially. "Friendly fire" (isn't.)

The Colombian citizen Ramon Hurtado, who is involved in the Rayo Montaño case, was arrested by officers of the State Border Service (SENAFRONT) in the community of Cocalito community, near Colombia. Along with Hurtado were captured ten other people, who were aboard a boat that was adrift after running out of fuel in the Pacific coast. Hurtado, who has a precautionary measure of house arrest with electronic bracelet, which he had cut off, tried to circumvent the Panamanian authorities, communicating weeks before with the ship's captain who was also arrested. The boat named 'Niña Natalie', with a 60-HP engine, was being driven by Alexander Ibarguen, a Panamanian citizen. It is known that Ibarguen, the boat captain, has been arrested previously and maintains records for offenses related to the trafficking of human beings, apparently using the same system of traveling during the hours of darkness. The boat carrying these people did not have a license to navigate, nor did it coincide with the specifications of the boat's documentation, nor was it performing permitted activities, so it was seized and placed under the orders of the competent authorities. (Siglo)

Corporal Luis Abrego of the National Police was killed, and National Aeronaval Service Sergeant Cecion Garcia was injured in a confusing incident that occurred last night in the village of Santa Isabel, on the "upper coast" of Colon. Through a press release, the PN said the incident occurred during a drug seizure in the Province of Colon, during which a second police officer was also wounded. The investigative bodies of the National Police and prosecutors of the Public Ministry have launched investigations of rigor. The injured were taken to the hospital in Colon for medical care. (Panama America)

Editor's Comment: Sounds like cross-fire to me, maybe. Or maybe it's a "confusing incident" because the cops were the ones running the drugs? Don't know, let's see what comes out of this.

Seven months after a drug trafficking ring was dismantled that operated with the Colombian FARC guerrillas using the Albrook Flight School as a cover, the owner of the school and the alleged leader of the group, Isaac Mosquera, remains at large. This was confirmed yesterday by the First Anti Drug Prosecutor Javier Caraballo, who said, however, that the case remains open and the other 13 accused are in jail. There is a $10,000 reward being offered for Mosquera's arrest. (Prensa)

Police officials gave an assessment of recent seizures and arrests at a press conference today. The First Anti Drug Prosecutor, Javier Caravallo said the first operation came during the early morning hours on Saturday when agents of the Drug Tactical Unit of the National Police received information about suspicious movements of boats in the area of Santa Isabel, on the "upper coast" of the province of Colon. Caravallo said when they arrived at the scene they found a motorboat with a 40 horsepower outboard engine and within the boat there were bundles containing 150 packages (kilos) of cocaine. The owners of the boat fled when they saw the police officers. When the police searched the area they found four rifles.

In another operation on Via España in Panama City yesterday, units of the Directorate of Police Information (DPI) in conjunction with the Anti Drug Prosecutor's Office seized 685 packages of cocaine that were hidden in 27 suitcases. He added that after the seizure they raided an apartment and found two firearms and 56,500 euros. One person was arrested for investigation in this case. The head of the Police Information Division, Omar Pinzon said Dangelo Ramírez was arrested, who was wanted by the authorities, because he was already charged in another case of illegal possession of weapons. Several documents, weapons and ammunition were confiscated from Ramirez. (TVN)

Las Tablas, Los Santos -The Second Circuit Court of Los Santos on Friday condemned Manuel Martinez and Ricardo Bejarano to 96 months in prison for the crime of international drug trafficking. The sentence - which was signed by the judge of the Second Circuit of Los Santos, Alcibiades Herrera - absolves Carlos De Gracia, and as a consequence the judge ordered his immediate release. In addition, the decision says that in case the Anti Drug Prosecutor decides to appeal the decision, the judge ordered that De Gracia would have to appear before the court on the first day of each month, since it is natural and he resides in the province of Los Santos. This order will remain in place until the process ends. The judge also ordered the release of the property the prosecutor seized from De Gracia. In addition, the defendants will get credit for time served starting from the date their were arrested, 3 September 2009.

The court ordered the forfeiture of property seized by prosecutors from Martinez, Bejarano, and Carlos Del Cañal (who has since died.) Based on the provisions of Article No. 122 of the Penal Code, the property will be made ​​available to the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

The sentence indicates Martinez and Bejarano, who had no prior criminal record, were surprised on the night of 3 September 2009 by officials from the Special Anti Drug Prosecutor's Office from Herrera and Los Santos, as they were packing cocaine into melons and pumpkins which were destined for export. At the location officials found twenty-three packages containing cocaine, weighing 15,050 grams. (Prensa)

Authorities on Friday burned 3.9 tons of drugs seized in the last month, bringing the total to 28 tons the amount of drugs destroyed so far this year. Of the cargo destroyed 3.3 tons was cocaine, which correspond with an estimated value in the local market of $6.6 million dollars, said the police commissioner of the Department of Judicial Investigation (DIJ), Jorge Miranda. The rest of the drugs were marijuana and heroin. "This is the work product of the work of the many different entities of the public forces (in the fight against drug trafficking)," noted Miranda, who attended the burning of the drugs in an area near the waste landfill in Panama City. The government has invested millions of dollars to acquire radar, helicopters and to build monitoring and surveillance stations at coastal points along the Atlantic and Pacific in an effort to combat drug trafficking by sea and land. The destruction of drugs is usually performed every month in this country, which is a "necessary step" traditional for the drugs produced in South America destined for markets in North America and Europe, said the DIJ agent. The burned drugs were bound for Mexico and the United States, said Miranda. Members of drug trafficking organizations in Colombia and Mexico are involved in drug trafficking, which was seized in various operations, officials said. The practice of incinerating the drugs outdoors and using diesel fuel mixed with chemicals has drawn criticism from environmental groups. Miranda said he is looking for a new way to destroy seized narcotic drugs, but gave no details. (Telemetro)

The National Police seized 320 Kilos of cocaine and $6,500 in cash, found inside of a gray Mitsubishi Montero with license plate number 888197. The seizure occurred at a police checkpoint on the Bridge of the Americas, and six people were arrested. In this incident two additional cars were involved, a gray Kia Rio with license plate number 533570 and a white Hyundai panel van with license plate number 000741. (Panama America)

#Panama - The trial of the Representative of Renacimiento, Erick Eliécer Espinosa Ortiz, and eight other Panamanians, for the crime of drug trafficking and money laundering, began this morning in the Second Court of Chiriqui. Samuel Duque, Nilo González and Andrés Niels, lawyers for several of the defendants in this case, said they would demonstrate the innocence of the Representative, claiming the case against him is a political move to discredit him. According to official information, the Representative and the others involved in the case were arrested in March 2009 after an undercover operation, in which several packages of cocaine were seized in a truck container. The license plate of the Representatives car was in one of the seized cars. The Anti Drug Prosecutor declined to give statements to the media who are covering this process. (TVN)

A former sergeant in the National Police was arrested today in connection with a recent drug seizures carried out on Thursday, 10 November, in the er 10 in the neighborhoods of Villa Lucre and Brisas del Golf, in the district of San Miguelito, according to the First Anti Drug Prosecutor Javier Caraballo. In the judicial proceedings seven kilos of marijuana called "Crispi", a variant of the drug, were seized, as well as 14 kilos of cocaine. The investigation is part of an anti-drug operation started by the First Anti Drug Prosecutor together with the Narcotics Unit of the National Police, after they received information about the transfer of illicit substances in San Miguelito. Originally five people were arrested, two Panamanians and three Colombians, including two women and one man. One of the Colombians is the wife of the taxi driver, who has military training on his resume. The said they have been charged with drug trafficking, and so far they have not been able to determine if the drugs were to be transferred internationally. Preliminary information indicates that among those arrested was a Colombian who has a history of arrests for the same crime, which could increase his sentence for repeat offenders, as established by the Criminal Code. (Critica)

The National Police seized 261 kilos of cocaine last night on the docks in Balboa. The drugs were discovered inside of a shipping container destined for Belgium. Thus far there have been no arrests in this case. (Dia a Dia)

#Panama - By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Received this morning via email: "Hi Don, I was just wondering if you had any follow ups on the Sandra Mallon case? She is the Canadian woman who was caught trafficking drugs at the airport back in August of 2009. There is no news on her back in Canada. Was wondering if she was found guilty. Please respond. Regards, E."

The Trial Has Taken Place: I checked with the Panamanian Judicial system this morning in order to obtain an update on this case. According to their Public Relations Office, the formal trial has already been conducted in the Second Criminal Court in Panama City. Sandra Mallon was charged with international drug trafficking after she was arrested at the Tocumen International Airport with 1,695.67 grams of cocaine concealed under her clothing, and trying to smuggle those drugs through the security screenings to board an airplane to return to Canada. The trial has already taken place. The trial was originally scheduled for November 2010 and was delayed several times, due to orders for the judge to expand and amplify the investigation, as well as motions presented by the defense lawyers representing Sandra Mallon. Once those things were taken care of, the formal trial took place. However, my source failed to obtain the specific date of the trial. Anyway, no matter. It's just a detail.

Now Awaiting Judgement and Sentencing: Sandra Mallon does not speak enough Spanish to undergo an important criminal trial in that language, so therefore an official court translator and interpreter was present for the trial. The trial was conducted, the prosecution presented their case, the defense lawyers (presumably) presented their defense, and right now court officials are in the process of translating and transcribing the records from the trial, so they can be formally posted to the official file. After any criminal trial the judge responsible for the case has 30 days to pass judgement and to hand down a sentence. As of this moment Sandra Mallon has not yet been either convicted or sentenced, however a decision and sentence is expected soon, within a couple of weeks, depending on the date of the trial.

Related Articles:

• Woman imprisoned in Panama losing her job, health: sister - 14 May 2010

• A Friend Of Sandra Mallon Writes (Busted at Tocumen With Cocaine) To Complain - 30 October 2010

• Canadian Sandra Mallon Was Carrying 1,695.67 Grams of Cocaine When Busted At Tocumen - 11 Nov 2010

• Response To Questions Raised By Sandra Mallon Drug Trafficking Article - 12 Nov 2010

• Canadian Sandra Mallon - Charged With Drug Trafficking - Furious Because The Truth Got Out - 16 Nov 2010

• And Why Would Sandra Mallon Lie To The People in Canada? - 17 Nov 2010

• Trial of Accused Canadian Drug Trafficker Sandra Mallon Postponed - 27 Nov 2010

• Any Follow-Up on the Sandra Mallon Case? - 1 Apr 2011

• Sandra Mallon Drug Trafficking Case Back To Court - 21 Jul 2011

Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.

(AP) MIAMI -- The U.S. Coast Guard has seized 2,300 pounds of marijuana and nearly 900 pounds of cocaine. The drugs were seized in two separate operations in October. In the first, Coast Guard officials boarded a 160-foot Bolivian-flagged freighter northeast of Panama on Oct. 14. Authorities say they found 886 pounds of cocaine inside the vessel. The contraband was seized by investigators. Nearly two weeks later, on Oct. 26, the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Gallatin spotted a 30-foot go-fast vessel in the Caribbean. The Coast Guard crew interdicted the boat and found 2,300 pounds of marijuana onboard. The contraband was offloaded at the Coast Guard Sector Key West on Tuesday.

The National Customs Authority reported so far this year they have seized $3.26 million dollars in undeclared cash. In the first half of 2011 they seized $1.01 million dollars from 35 foreigners, led by Colombians (13 cases), Haitians, Peruvians, Bolivians, Mexicans, Salvadorans, Argentinians, Costa Ricans, Hondurans, Jamaicans, Jordanians, and Venezuelas, according to a report issued by the ANA at that time. (Telemetro)

Editor's Comment: The drug traffickers pay mules to smuggle cash back South, the illegal take from their drug smuggling activities in the North. It's relatively common for the Panamanian customs authorities to capture a "cash smuggler" - some Guatemalan grandmother with $50,000 in cash in her luggage, or what have you. They get to Panama City, hand off the load, get paid, and go back home. They now have x-ray scanning equipment installed, and when they scan your luggage upon arrival the Custom's officials are primarily looking for hidden bundles of cash money...