According to the report from that institution, the seizure was made during operations carried out by patrol boats near the island of Punta Coco, in the Archipelago of Las Perlas and Punta Mala, in the western province of Los Santos.

In the first raid, they captured 779 kilograms of cocaine inside a boat that was trying to get away from the Panamamian coast.

The second seizure of 1,335 kilograms of this illicit substance was made near Punta Coco, when SENAN agents called a boat manned by several people who threw the cargo into the sea to try to escape, the official report added.

So far this year, Panamanian authorities have seized 113 tons of narcotics, 83.3 tons of which were captured during SENAN operations against speedboats from Colombia and artisanal vessels that simulated fishing activities.

Panama is used as a bridge to smuggle drugs produced in South America and whose main destinations are the United States and Europe.

In 2023, the Central American country seized 119.2 tons of illicit substances, the vast majority cocaine, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Security.

jg/arc/ga