On Monday, authorities in Panama reported the arrest of 10 individuals and the confiscation of approximately 13.2 tons of drugs from a ferry en route to the United States in the Pacific Ocean.
Prosecutor Julio Villarreal described the operation as one of the largest in the country’s waters, stating on Tuesday that the drugs involved were mostly cocaine. According to CBS News, Villarreal shared this information during a press briefing.
Photos of the suspects were released by Panamanian prosecutors through social media, revealing that a staggering total of 11,562 drug packages had been seized during the operation.
In the statement from Villarreal’s office, it was noted: “A total of 11,562 parcels of suspected illegal substances were seized in the raid carried out by the Narcotics Prosecution Service, in collaboration with Aeronaval Panama, the national security force responsible for air and naval operations.”
The prosecutor’s office mentioned that during the interception in the southwest region of San José Island, those arrested hailed from various nationalities.
CBS News reported that among those apprehended were Venezuelans, Ecuadorians, and Nicaraguans, all aboard the ferry traveling from Colombia to the United States.
This year, Panama, serving as a transit hub for cocaine moving from South America to the U.S., the world’s largest consumer of cocaine, is said to have seized a total of 119 tons of drugs.
Interestingly, Panama is not alone in dealing with drug seizures from vessels recently. Last month, Spanish authorities reported seizing 6.5 tons of cocaine and arresting nine individuals after acting on a tip-off from the U.S. regarding a ship near the Canary Islands.
Also in the same month, the Pakistan Navy found drugs valued at over $972 million on a sailing vessel in the Arabian Sea. September also saw the French Navy intercepting approximately 10 tons of cocaine, worth around $600 million, from a vessel off the coast of West Africa.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Coast Guard revealed that it has seized more than 500,000 pounds of cocaine this fiscal year, marking the largest haul in the agency’s history.
