Panama Profile
This article is a summary of reporting by InSight Crime. Originally published July 10, 2026.
Following the abolition of the military in the 1990s, Panama transferred public safety duties to civilian police and specialized units such as SENAN and SENAFRONT. The country has emerged as a critical transit hub where Colombian and Mexican criminal organizations enlist local street gangs to coordinate drug transport, port infiltration, and container contamination. Despite seizing record amounts of narcotics, security institutions and the judiciary continue to struggle with systemic corruption, violence between rival groups like Bagdad and Calor Calor, and emerging illicit enterprises such as human smuggling in the Darién Gap.
AI Summary
Panama faces persistent security challenges as local gangs collaborate with international cartels to facilitate maritime cocaine trafficking and exploit regional logistics.
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