EXPLAINER: Panama launches operation against smugglers in Darien Gap
1 year, 6 months ago

EXPLAINER: Panama launches operation against smugglers in Darien Gap

Associated Press  

NICANOR, Panama — Panama unveiled a new effort to control illegal migration through the treacherous Darien Gap that spans its eastern border with Colombia on Friday. So in April, as the U.S. government prepared to lift pandemic-related restrictions that had allowed authorities to turn back asylum seekers at the border, it announced together with Panama and Colombia increased efforts in the largely lawless Darien Gap. On Friday, Panamanian security authorities announced it will dedicate some 1,200 immigration agents, border police and members of the naval air service to what they said will be a air, land and sea effort to take on organized criminal groups smuggling migrants, drugs and guns through the Darien jungle. Oriel Ortega, director of Panama’s border police, said Friday that its intelligence indicated that the Gulf Clan was the organization most involved in and profiting from smuggling migrants through the Darien.

Border Colombia Crossing Migrants Panama Gap Darien Darien Gap Panamanian Border Police Launches Operation  united  crossing  smugglers  panama  migrants  authorities  gap  darien  border  explainer  colombia  launches  operation  security  smuggling

History of this topic

Biden's migrant 'super-highway' revealed: Millions in US taxpayer cash turned the world's deadliest smuggling route into a 'safe' passage... how TODD BENSMAN was threatened for exposing it
2 months, 3 weeks ago

Biden's migrant 'super-highway' revealed: Millions in US taxpayer cash turned the world's deadliest smuggling route into a 'safe' passage... how TODD BENSMAN was threatened for exposing it

Daily Mail  

CAPURGANA, Colombia – 'Hey! I'd come to Capurgana, a dusty seaside village on the northwest coast of Colombia to investigate international efforts to shut down one of the world's most notorious human smuggling routes – the Darien Gap. They're met on the docks by foot soldiers of the Gaitanist Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, a powerful paramilitary drug-trafficking cartel that rules …

Panama deports 29 Colombian migrants from Darien Gap under US deal
4 months ago

Panama deports 29 Colombian migrants from Darien Gap under US deal

Al Jazeera  

First group of migrants has been deported under agreement on migrant repatriations signed with the US in July. Panama has deported 29 Colombians with alleged criminal records who had entered the country through the inhospitable Darien Gap, applying for the first time a deal on migrant repatriations signed with the United States in July. Panama President Jose Raul Mulino, who …

Panama arrests 15 people for smuggling Chinese migrants through the Darien Gap
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Panama arrests 15 people for smuggling Chinese migrants through the Darien Gap

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Border police in Panama said …

Ten people drown in Panama river as migration risks escalate
5 months ago

Ten people drown in Panama river as migration risks escalate

Al Jazeera  

Panama border police agency does not specify nationalities of those who drowned or how they crossed into country. Ten people have drowned in a river near Panama’s border with Colombia, Panamanian border police say, as the rainy season increases the risks migrants and asylum seekers face along a popular migration route. More than 520,000 migrants and asylum seekers crossed the …

Panama president says repatriation of migrants crossing the Darien Gap will be voluntary
5 months ago

Panama president says repatriation of migrants crossing the Darien Gap will be voluntary

Associated Press  

PANAMA CITY — Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino said Thursday that migrants entering Panama through the treacherous Darien Gap will only be sent back to their countries if they agree to do so, potentially diminishing the impact of stricter immigration enforcement Mulino had pushed. Mulino said by way of explanation Thursday that processes for repatriation are governed by international agreements, …

Panama president says repatriation of migrants crossing the Darien Gap will be voluntary
5 months ago

Panama president says repatriation of migrants crossing the Darien Gap will be voluntary

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Panama's President José Raúl Mulino …

Panama says migration through border with Colombia is down since President Mulino took office
5 months ago

Panama says migration through border with Colombia is down since President Mulino took office

Associated Press  

PANAMA CITY — Migration through the Darien Gap dividing Colombia and Panama has declined significantly this month since Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino took office and ordered authorities to get control of the dense jungle frontier, the country’s border police said Wednesday. The agency’s director general, Jorge Gobea, attributed the reduction to the installation of about 3 miles of barbed …

José Raúl Mulino sworn in as Panama’s new president, promises to stop migration through Darien Gap
5 months, 3 weeks ago

José Raúl Mulino sworn in as Panama’s new president, promises to stop migration through Darien Gap

Associated Press  

PANAMA CITY — José Raúl Mulino was sworn in Monday as Panama’s next president, facing pressure to slow irregular migration through the Darien Gap that connects his country with Colombia. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas had signed a memorandum of understanding Monday with Panama’s Foreign Affairs Minister Javier Martínez-Acha in which the U.S. government committed to covering the cost of …

Panama’s next president meets migrants at the Darien Gap, promises to shut down the perilous route
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Panama’s next president meets migrants at the Darien Gap, promises to shut down the perilous route

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Panama's president-elect José Raúl Mulino …

Colombia and Panama failing to protect migrants in Darien Gap: HRW
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Colombia and Panama failing to protect migrants in Darien Gap: HRW

Al Jazeera  

Human Rights Watch has urged the two countries to ensure the safety of people crossing the dangerous migration route. Colombia and Panama have failed to protect hundreds of thousands of migrants and asylum seekers crossing a dangerous yet popular jungle migration route between the two countries, Human Rights Watch has said. “Whatever the reason for their journey, migrants and asylum …

How migration transformed an Indigenous town in Panama’s Darien Gap
9 months ago

How migration transformed an Indigenous town in Panama’s Darien Gap

Al Jazeera  

The community of Bajo Chiquito has seen its population explode, as migrants and asylum seekers trek north to the US. “It’s a spectacular economic opportunity for them,” said Bram Ebus, the lead author of a report about the Darién Gap from the International Crisis Group, a nonprofit. But we are concerned for many reasons.” Experts say communities like Bajo Chiquito …

Migration through the Darien Gap is cut off following the capture of boat captains in Colombia
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Migration through the Darien Gap is cut off following the capture of boat captains in Colombia

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The flow of thousands of …

Panama, Costa Rica agree to a plan to speed migrants passing through from Darien Gap
1 year, 2 months ago

Panama, Costa Rica agree to a plan to speed migrants passing through from Darien Gap

Associated Press  

PANAMA CITY — Panama and Costa Rica announced a plan to quickly bus thousands of migrants through Panama to the Costa Rican border, as the countries continue to grapple with a steady increase in the number of migrants moving through the jungle-clad Darien Gap. Panama hopes the new plan will disrupt the smuggling networks that charge migrants to get through …

Panama, Costa Rica agree to a plan to speed migrants passing through from Darien Gap
1 year, 2 months ago

Panama, Costa Rica agree to a plan to speed migrants passing through from Darien Gap

The Independent  

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Panama to increase deportations in face of record migration through the Darien Gap
1 year, 3 months ago

Panama to increase deportations in face of record migration through the Darien Gap

Associated Press  

PANAMA CITY — Panama will increase infrastructure in the jungle area along its shared border with Colombia known as the Darien Gap — as well as ramp up deportations — to contain a record-breaking flow of migrants passing through there this year, Panama’s immigration chief said Friday. National Immigration Authority Director Samira Gozaine said President Laurentino Cortizo had authorized hiring …

Panama to increase deportations, efforts to halt Darien Gap crossings
1 year, 3 months ago

Panama to increase deportations, efforts to halt Darien Gap crossings

Al Jazeera  

Record numbers have crossed the Darien Gap, a strip of jungle between Panama and Colombia once seen as impassable. The Central American nation of Panama has announced new measures to crack down on migrants and asylum seekers entering the country, as a record number of people attempt to cross the inhospitable Darien Gap. On Friday, Panamanian authorities said that they …

Panama eyes new measures as flow of migrants through Darien Gap hits 300,000 so far this year
1 year, 3 months ago

Panama eyes new measures as flow of migrants through Darien Gap hits 300,000 so far this year

Associated Press  

PANAMA CITY — The government of Panama said Thursday it will launch a new campaign to stem the flow of migrants through the dangerous, jungle-clad Darien Gap, after crossings hit 300,000 so far this year. The plan, named “Darien is a jungle, not a road,” will be launched next week, officials said, but they could barely hide their frustration with …

Panama eyes new measures as flow of migrants through Darien Gap hits 300,000 so far this year
1 year, 4 months ago

Panama eyes new measures as flow of migrants through Darien Gap hits 300,000 so far this year

LA Times  

Migrants sit under a sign marking the Panama-Colombia border during their trek across the Darien Gap in May. The government of Panama said Thursday it will launch a new campaign to stem the flow of migrants through the dangerous, jungle-clad Darien Gap, after crossings hit 300,000 so far this year. The plan, named “Darien is a jungle, not a road,” …

Panama criticizes Colombia for not helping stem record flow of migrants through Darien Gap
1 year, 4 months ago

Panama criticizes Colombia for not helping stem record flow of migrants through Darien Gap

Associated Press  

PANAMA CITY — Panama’s top immigration official lashed out at Colombia on Sunday, saying it is not helping to slow the record flow of migrants through the dangerous jungle of the Darien Gap. Immigration Service Director Samira Gozaine said that in recent days, between 2,600 and 2,800 migrants per day have been moving through the gap, which connects North and …

Nearly 250,000 migrants crossed Panama’s Darien Gap so far this year, more than in all of 2022
1 year, 4 months ago

Nearly 250,000 migrants crossed Panama’s Darien Gap so far this year, more than in all of 2022

Associated Press  

PANAMA CITY — The number of migrants crossing Panama’s dangerous, jungle-clad Darien Gap swelled to almost 250,000 in the first seven months of 2023, surpassing the number that crossed in all of 2022, officials said Friday. Panama’s National Immigration service said 248,901 migrants had made the trip through July 31, and that 21% of those crossing were children or adolescents. …

Nearly 250,000 migrants crossed Panama's Darien Gap so far this year, more than in all of 2022
1 year, 4 months ago

Nearly 250,000 migrants crossed Panama's Darien Gap so far this year, more than in all of 2022

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The number of migrants crossing …

Treacherous Darien Gap migration route sees record number of crossings
1 year, 4 months ago

Treacherous Darien Gap migration route sees record number of crossings

Al Jazeera  

Nearly 250,000 people have risked their lives crossing a perilous stretch of jungle between Colombia and Panama. The number of migrants and asylum seekers who have crossed an inhospitable stretch of Central American jungle known as the Darien Gap so far this year has surpassed the record total set in 2022, according to Panama’s government. “We are facing a humanitarian …

Panama’s Darien Gap a magnet for tourists, ‘hell’ for migrants
1 year, 5 months ago

Panama’s Darien Gap a magnet for tourists, ‘hell’ for migrants

Al Jazeera  

Deep in the Panamanian jungle, Venezuelan migrant Franca Ramirez was scrambling to reach higher ground as a rushing river broke its banks when something caught his eye: a group of young men snapping photos of the landscape. It is known as the “gap” on Panama’s Darien isthmus because it is the only missing section, running about 97km, on the Pan-American …

How Panama plans to stop migrant-smuggling through the perilous Darien Gap
1 year, 6 months ago

How Panama plans to stop migrant-smuggling through the perilous Darien Gap

LA Times  

Haitian migrants wade through water as they cross the Darien Gap from Colombia to Panama in hopes of reaching the U.S. Panama has unveiled a new effort to control illegal migration through the treacherous Darien Gap that spans its eastern border with Colombia. In April, as the U.S. prepared to lift pandemic-related restrictions that had allowed authorities to turn back …

Panama launches operation in Darien jungle targeting organized crime and migrant smugglers
1 year, 6 months ago

Panama launches operation in Darien jungle targeting organized crime and migrant smugglers

Associated Press  

NICANOR, Panama — Panama launched a security operation along its shared border with Colombia on Friday to combat criminal gangs and migrant smugglers involved in record-setting migration through the perilous Darien Gap. Security officials said the “Shield” campaign is part of an agreement reached with the governments of Colombia and the United States in April to stop the flow of …

Migrants crossing dense Darien jungle at Colombia-Panama border find increasingly organized route
1 year, 7 months ago

Migrants crossing dense Darien jungle at Colombia-Panama border find increasingly organized route

Associated Press  

ACANDI, Colombia — Migrants who have hiked into the dense Darien jungle covering the Colombia-Panama border while the U.S. government moved to lift pandemic-related asylum restrictions have found an increasingly organized migration route. The Darien Gap is the most imposing physical barrier for migrants heading north until they reach the U.S. border. But on the Colombian side of the border, …

UN: As many as 400,000 migrants may cross Darien Gap in 2023
1 year, 8 months ago

UN: As many as 400,000 migrants may cross Darien Gap in 2023

Associated Press  

PANAMA CITY — Two U.N. groups said Thursday that the number of migrants crossing the dangerous Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama could soar to as many as 400,000 this year. The groups called it “an unprecedented movement through the Americas.” The United States pledged its forces will assist their Colombian and Panamanian counterparts with intelligence gathering to dismantle smuggling …

US would support Colombian, Panama forces to slow migration
1 year, 8 months ago

US would support Colombian, Panama forces to slow migration

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — United States forces will assist their Colombian and Panamanian counterparts with intelligence gathering to dismantle smuggling rings operating in the dense jungle of the Darien Gap, a key route for migrants heading to the U.S. from South America, a senior Biden administration official said Wednesday. U.S. forces could assist in targeting smugglers for arrest and locating “stash houses” …

US, Panama and Colombia aim to stop Darien Gap migration
1 year, 8 months ago

US, Panama and Colombia aim to stop Darien Gap migration

Associated Press  

PANAMA CITY — The United States, Panama and Colombia announced Tuesday that they will launch a 60-day campaign aimed at halting illegal migration through the treacherous Darien Gap, where the flow of migrants has multiplied this year. According to Panama’s government, more than 87,000 migrants crossed the Darien Gap in the first three months of the year, mostly from Venezuela, …

US-led plan to ‘end’ migration through Darien Gap spurs questions
1 year, 8 months ago

US-led plan to ‘end’ migration through Darien Gap spurs questions

Al Jazeera  

Deal with Panama, Colombia seeks to stem ‘illicit crossings’ of dangerous jungle route used by US-bound asylum seekers. The US Department of Homeland Security said on Tuesday that a deal had been reached with the Panamanian and Colombian authorities to address “irregular migration” through the so-called Darien Gap. How exactly do they intend to end migration thru the Darien Gap …

US, Panama and Colombia aim to stop Darien Gap migration
1 year, 8 months ago

US, Panama and Colombia aim to stop Darien Gap migration

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The United States, Panama and …

Big jump in migrants crossing Panama’s dangerous Darien Gap
1 year, 9 months ago

Big jump in migrants crossing Panama’s dangerous Darien Gap

Associated Press  

PANAMA CITY — Panama’s government said Wednesday that 50,000 migrants crossed the treacherous Darien Gap linking Colombia and Panama in the first two months of 2023, five times more than in the same period last year. The People’s Defense Office said 9,683 migrants younger than 18 crossed the jungle-clad Darien route in January and February. The office and U.N. rights …

Panama reports a sharp increase in migrants crossing the dangerous Darien Gap
1 year, 9 months ago

Panama reports a sharp increase in migrants crossing the dangerous Darien Gap

LA Times  

Ecuadorian migrants cross the Darien Gap from Colombia into Panama in October, hoping to reach the United States. Panama’s government said Wednesday that 50,000 migrants crossed the treacherous Darien Gap linking Colombia and Panama in the first two months of 2023, five times more than in the same period last year. The People’s Defense Office said 9,683 migrants younger than …

Nearly 250,000 migrants crossed treacherous Darien in 2022
1 year, 11 months ago

Nearly 250,000 migrants crossed treacherous Darien in 2022

Associated Press  

PANAMA CITY — Nearly 250,000 migrants crossed the treacherous Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama in 2022 on their way north, a figure that was nearly double the number from a year earlier, the International Organization for Migration said Tuesday. At least 36 migrants died during the journey, but the United Nations’ migration agency said the real number is likely …

Behind the Lens: On migration paths in Latin America
2 years ago

Behind the Lens: On migration paths in Latin America

Associated Press  

Associated Press photographers talk about their 2022 assignments, and share some of the stories behind the images. ___ THE PLACE: Darien Gap, on the border of Colombia and Panama THE STORY: Tracking the path of migration THE PHOTOGRAPHER: Fernando Vergara ___ ON WHO HE ENCOUNTERED: The first time we were in the Darien Gap, we were covering the migration crisis …

The Darién Gap: A deadly extension of the US border
2 years, 1 month ago

The Darién Gap: A deadly extension of the US border

Al Jazeera  

This year, a record number of United States-bound migrants and refugees have risked their lives to cross the Darién Gap, the 66-mile mountainous stretch of spectacularly inhospitable jungle between Colombia and Panama. I had the opportunity to hear first hand of the horrors of the Darién when, in July 2021, I was briefly imprisoned for visa irregularities in the women’s …

Number of migrants crossing dangerous Darien Gap soars: UNHCR
2 years, 8 months ago

Number of migrants crossing dangerous Darien Gap soars: UNHCR

Al Jazeera  

UN refugee agency says number of people taking Panamanian jungle route tripled so far this year compared with 2021. The number of people crossing Panama’s Darien Gap, the notorious and lawless route taken by migrants and refugees trying to head north to the United States, has almost tripled compared with the same period last year, according to the United Nations …

Why are migrants risking it all to cross the deadly Darien Gap?
3 years, 1 month ago

Why are migrants risking it all to cross the deadly Darien Gap?

Al Jazeera  

On Tuesday, November 16 at 19:30 GMT: This year a record number of more than 100,000 migrants have risked their lives traveling through the Darien Gap, a treacherous jungle area between Panama and Colombia. The Darien Gap is one of the main routes for migrants heading from South America to the United States. The UN children’s agency reported last month …

More than 91,000 migrants crossed perilous Darien Gap this year
3 years, 2 months ago

More than 91,000 migrants crossed perilous Darien Gap this year

Al Jazeera  

Majority of those who took Panama’s dangerous jungle route in hopes of reaching North America are Haitians, IOM says. More than 91,300 migrants – most of them Haitians – have trekked through Panama’s dangerous Darien Gap jungle so far this year in hopes of reaching North America, the International Organization for Migration said on Friday. Citing statistics from Panamanian migration …

More than 50 migrants have died this year in Panama’s Darien Gap
3 years, 2 months ago

More than 50 migrants have died this year in Panama’s Darien Gap

Al Jazeera  

The death toll is higher than in previous years amid a surge in crossings of the treacherous jungle route. More than 50 people have died since the start of 2021 while trying to cross the Panama jungle along a perilous migration route towards the United States, officials from the Central American country have said. The figure is considerably higher than …

Rising numbers of migrants risk lives crossing Darien Gap
3 years, 3 months ago

Rising numbers of migrants risk lives crossing Darien Gap

Associated Press  

ACANDI, Colombia — It was 5 a.m. and in dozens of small tents around 500 migrants began showing signs of life, rising, packing their bags and preparing to cross the Darien Gap, the thick jungle teeming with snakes, bandits and treacherous rivers that separates Colombia from Panama. As borders open around the world after months of pandemic-related lockdowns some illegal …

Children a big part of migration through perilous Darien Gap
3 years, 3 months ago

Children a big part of migration through perilous Darien Gap

Associated Press  

NECOCLI, Colombia — Every day, at least 500 migrants from around the world sail out of Necocli, a small town on Colombia’s Caribbean coast, across the Gulf of Uraba to the village of Acandi, to start a week-long trek through the jungle that takes them into Panama — the next stop on the long road to the United States. While …

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