United States and Panama strengthen strategic alliance against drug trafficking
The United States Ambassador to Panama, Kevin Marino Cabrera, reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to work closely with Panamanian authorities with the goal of removing the Central American nation from the list of major illicit drug transit or production countries. This joint effort seeks to transform regional security and strengthen the fight against criminal organizations.
During his statements, the diplomat highlighted the coordinated work with the administration of President José Raúl Mulino, underscoring that Panama has consolidated itself as a fundamental ally in the fight against drug trafficking. “We are working every day to eliminate any drug trafficking route. Panama has been our number one partner in the region regarding drug seizures for five consecutive years, and our goal is to maintain and expand that strategic cooperation,” Cabrera noted.
Regional context and security statistics
Recently, the United States Department of State published its annual report, where it included Panama in a list that also contemplates various nations of Latin America and other regions of the world, such as the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Guatemala, among other countries that face similar challenges in terms of security.
Panama has been our number one partner in the region in drug seizures, and we are going to continue working together so that they can continue to be our number one partner. And that is what you are seeing from this expansion of cooperation together.
Kevin Marino Cabrera, United States Ambassador to Panama
To address this issue, Panama is an active member of the Americas Anti-Cartel Coalition (A3C), an initiative promoted by the United States under the framework of the Shield of the Americas. The results of this collaboration are reflected in the official figures from the Panamanian Public Ministry, which recorded the seizure of 129 tons of drugs and 47.8 tons of chemical precursors during the year 2025.
Key points of bilateral cooperation
- Continuous commitment between Washington and the José Raúl Mulino administration to strengthen border security.
- Panama leads the region in illicit substance seizures for the fifth consecutive year.
- Active participation in the Americas Coalition against Cartels (A3C) to dismantle transnational criminal networks.
- Focus on the eradication of chemical precursor trafficking, essential for the production of synthetic drugs.
