The Central American nation of Panama has moved against migrant smugglers offering a VIP service for Chinese nationals.
Authorities in the country arrested 15 people in connection with the scheme on Aug. 7. The suspects were arrested in the town of Santa Fe, near the city of Meteti in Panama's Darien Province – a jungle-covered border region shared with neighboring Colombia. The detainees – who face 15 to 20 years in prison – are all Panamanian, but are accused of working for Colombian gangs.
According to ZeroHedge, a 66-mile gap that starts just inside Colombia and stretches into Panama cuts the 19,000-mile Pan-American Highway spanning the Americas. This gap, called the Darien Gap, forces migrants to make a journey on foot through the mountainous and marshy region. Migrants pay about $500 for a standard escort through the gap, with the trek taking five to eight days.
Meanwhile, the VIP service offers a shorter trek of two days using various modes of transportation – including canoe, horseback or even all-terrain vehicles. But according to local prosecutor Emeldo Marquez, the fees for this shorter trip range from $2,600 to $8,000. Given the price, most customers who can afford the first-class experience are Chinese nationals. (Related: Report: Groups of military-age males from China and South America are illegally entering the United States.)
ZeroHedge noted, citing data from the United Nations, that there were about 500,000 migrants who crossed the Darien Gap in 2023. About 200,000 have crossed so far this year.
While the migrants come from many nations, most of the recent ones hail from Venezuela. Illegal crossing by Chinese migrants have also soared, with more than 55,000 crossing the Mexican border into the U.S. after bypassing the Darien Gap since 2023.
Panama now taking BORDER SECURITY seriously
The arrests followed the Panamanian Border Service (SENAFRONT) installing razor wire fences inside the Darien Gap, in a bid to block migrants wanting to enter the U.S. illegally. "The [SENAFRONT] patrol … has begun to block the majority of border passages," said Panamanian Public Security Minister Frank Abrego back in June. While the installation of barriers have sparked panic among migrants trying to cross the gap, this has failed to dissuade them even one bit.
Border security pundits in the U.S. have also wondered if the Aug. 7 arrests are a sign that Panamanian President Jose Raul Molino is taking his campaign pledge seriously. Molino vowed to end the country's role as a major funnel of masses of illegal immigrants bound for the United States.
On July 1, the same day Mulino was sworn into office, Panama announced it had signed an agreement with the U.S. intending to cut the flow of migrants through the isthmus. Under the deal, Washington committed to cover Panama's expenses for deporting people who enter Panama illegally, and to help with "equipment, transportation and logistics."
"I will not allow Panama to be a path open to thousands of people who illegally enter our country supported by an entire international organization related to drug trafficking and human trafficking," Mulino said at the time.
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