Overview
- Panama’s aeronaval service intercepted a tug south of Isla San José after evasive maneuvers and boarded it in coordination with anti-drug prosecutors.
- The haul totaled 13.5 tonnes contained in 579 bales with 11,562 packages, with authorities elsewhere estimating a market value of about $200 million.
- Ten men were detained on board, identified as one Venezuelan, four Ecuadorians, three Nicaraguans, one Peruvian, and one Colombian.
- Intelligence indicates the vessel departed the Juradó/Buenaventura area of Colombia bound for Mexico, forming part of a northbound trafficking route.
- Authorities described the seizure as a landmark maritime interdiction and noted it as the largest single-operation haul since a 2007 case, with investigations ongoing.