Central America
Panama and Costa Rica strengthen border alliance to combat organized crime
Panama and Costa Rica strengthened a strategic alliance on Saturday aimed at enhancing border security and jointly tackling transnational organized crime, following a high-level bilateral meeting held in Paso Canoas, in Panama’s Chiriquí province, according to Panama’s Ministry of Public Security.
“The effort strengthens digital border control and enables a more effective response to organized crime,” said Frank Abrego, Panama’s Minister of Public Security. He added that “operational integration between both countries increases anticipation and response capacity to threats.”
During the meeting, Abrego and his Costa Rican counterpart, Mario Zamora Cordero, reaffirmed their commitment to deepen bilateral cooperation, particularly in territorial protection and citizen security.
Paso Canoas is a key customs hub in the region, handling goods arriving in Panama through the Panama Canal and the Colón Free Zone, which are then distributed across Central America, as well as regional exports.
Zamora described the meeting as “effective and productive,” emphasizing the importance of sustained police cooperation to confront criminal structures operating in the region.
As part of the agenda, authorities inaugurated a new operations center for the National Border Service in the Progreso sector. The facility is designed to strengthen monitoring and control through surveillance technologies such as cameras and drones, as well as real-time information sharing between both countries.
Authorities also announced the delivery of eight vehicles to reinforce patrol operations, along with intensified joint operations at key border points.
Officials stated that these measures will increase operational presence, improve response capabilities, and enhance security for border communities.
Both ministers agreed that coordination between Panama and Costa Rica has helped maintain a “calm, stable, and developing” border, and announced further meetings, including one in San José, to advance new security agreements.
In this context, in February 2024, both countries inaugurated the Paso Canoas Integrated Control Center on the Costa Rican side, a 14,000-square-meter facility designed to streamline procedures and manage the daily flow of around 200 cargo trucks and 800 people crossing from Panama.
The meeting brought together senior officials from both nations’ security forces, who advanced joint strategies to combat threats such as drug trafficking, human trafficking, and smuggling, through coordinated action and intelligence sharing.
This bilateral effort underscores both countries’ commitment to ensuring citizen security and sends a clear message of joint action against organized crime.
Central America
Guatemala Dismantles Largest Cocaine Lab Found in 15 Years Near Mexico Border
Security forces in Guatemala discovered what authorities described as the largest cocaine laboratory dismantled in the country in the last 15 years, located in the southwest near the border with Mexico, officials announced on Wednesday.
Guatemalan Defense Minister Henry Sáenz said during a press conference that the operation was carried out as part of “Operation Ring of Fire,” a large-scale security initiative launched by the Guatemalan government and military to reinforce border controls and combat organized crime, particularly along the Mexican border.
The operation focused on the community of Zanjón San Lorenzo, in the municipality of Ayutla, San Marcos department, where authorities uncovered a sophisticated criminal compound made up of three interconnected buildings equipped to carry out the full cocaine production process.
“What we can preliminarily observe in these facilities is the complete production cycle used to produce cocaine ready for consumption,” Sáenz stated, adding that the investigation remains ongoing and additional findings could emerge.
The minister highlighted the scale and complexity of the laboratory, comparing it to previous major drug seizures in the country.
“The last major laboratory we found was in El Estor, Izabal, in 2019, and that facility only processed coca paste,” he explained.
Authorities arrested eight individuals during the raid and seized a cache of weapons that included 14 military-style assault rifles, three 9mm pistols, and 1,306 rounds of ammunition.
Security forces also confiscated cash totaling 74,461 quetzales (approximately $9,600), $26,787 in U.S. currency, and 118,000 Mexican pesos.
Central America
Opposition leader highlights migration crisis in Panama speech
Opposition leader María Corina Machado recalled on Monday, during her final day in Panama, the thousands of Venezuelan migrants who crossed the dangerous Darién Gap jungle on their journey toward North America in search of better living conditions.
Speaking before Panama’s National Assembly, Machado stated that “more than 500,000 Venezuelans have crossed the Darién in search of freedom,” adding that many did not survive the journey.
Her remarks highlighted the Darién Gap as a central route in the recent regional migration crisis, where thousands of migrants—mostly Venezuelans—have attempted to travel north through one of the most dangerous jungle passages in the Americas.
According to migration data cited in recent years, the Darién route has seen daily flows of over a thousand migrants at its peak, reflecting the scale of the humanitarian challenge in the region.
Central America
Nicaragua’s Alliances With U.S. Rivals Could Trigger More Sanctions, Analysis Says
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to maintain political and economic pressure on the government of Nicaragua, led by Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, due to its growing alliances with Russia, China and Iran, according to an analysis released Monday by the Centro de Estudios Transdisciplinarios de Centroamérica (Cetcam).
The report states that tensions between Washington and Managua have increased since the beginning of Trump’s second term and could worsen amid the regional political climate, particularly because of developments in Venezuela and Cuba.
Cetcam researchers noted that since the second half of 2025, the U.S. government has intensified criticism of the Sandinista administration, mainly regarding political prisoners, human rights, religious freedom and what it describes as the authoritarian model established by Ortega and Murillo.
“With this background, it is possible to foresee that Washington will maintain pressure, including sanctions, against the Ortega-Murillo dictatorship,” the think tank stated in its report.
The study also warns that one of Washington’s main concerns is the strengthening relationship between Managua and countries considered strategic rivals of the United States, particularly Russia, China and Iran.
Among the developments highlighted is the recent ratification by the Russian Senate of a military cooperation agreement signed with Nicaragua in 2025. The deal is expected to strengthen strategic coordination and Russia’s presence in Central America for an initial five-year period.
According to Cetcam, the move will “hardly go unnoticed” by the United States.
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