Eight Colombians held after 1,452 marijuana packages seized at La Honda
Police and the aeronaval service seized a launch carrying 1,452 packages of marijuana at the port of La Honda, in Los Santos province, and detained eight Colombians. A judge validated their preventive detention on international drug trafficking charges and gave prosecutors six months to investigate.
🇵🇦 Puerto de La Honda, Santa Ana, Los Santos · Panama
Eight Colombians were detained in Los Santos province after police seized a boat
carrying 1,452 packages of marijuana at La Honda, in the Santa Ana
corregimiento, the weekend of 21–22 October 2017.[1]The aeronaval service
said it found a launch carrying five Colombians at the port of La Honda during
an aerial and naval operation, and that they were placed at the disposal of the
authorities.[2]El Siglo, citing Drug Prosecution Service data, counted 30
sacks holding 1,453 packages of marijuana and said five Colombians were arrested
trying to bring the drug ashore by boat at Puerto de La Honda.[3]
Los Santos judge of guarantees Bosco Monterrey validated the detainees’
preventive detention and charges of international drug trafficking, and allowed
the Los Santos drug prosecutors six months to complete the investigation.[1]Monterrey also imposed precautionary measures on the boat and two outboard
motors the detainees had used.[1]During the hearing, defence lawyer Boris
Quintero asked the judge to grant periodic reporting to prosecutors instead, and
the request was rejected.[1]
El Siglo said the Senan made the seizure after a pursuit, and that it was the
ninth drug seizure that year in Los Santos province.[3]La Prensa reported
that on the previous Saturday police intercepted another boat 60 miles off Los
Santos and detained two Spaniards and a Venezuelan aboard with 500 kilograms of
cocaine, a separate operation.[1]
Photos and video
Photo captioned as showing drugs seized from two boats on the Los Santos coast, published with La Prensa's account of the two operations. Photo: La Prensa PanamáPhoto details
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Source: La Prensa PanamáPhoto captioned “Detenidos. Los cinco colombianos aprehendidos” in Mi Diario's report of the La Honda seizure. Photo: Mi DiarioPhoto details
The sources differ on how many people were detained in the La Honda seizure: La Prensa says eight Colombians, while Mi Diario and El Siglo report five.
The package count differs: La Prensa reports 1,452 packages, while Mi Diario and El Siglo report 1,453.
No weight is given for the marijuana packages, so no kilograms can be recorded.
The sources do not give a separate date for the La Honda seizure beyond that weekend of 21–22 October 2017, with Mi Diario saying the launch was found in the early hours of Wednesday, 18 October.
No court outcome beyond the validation hearing, with a six-month investigation period, was reported.
A separate cocaine seizure of 500 kilograms from a boat 60 miles off Los Santos, with two Spaniards and a Venezuelan detained, is reported in the same La Prensa article and is left out here as a non-cannabis event.
El Siglo's own photo placeholder and Mi Diario's detained-persons photo could not be confirmed as showing the La Honda seizure itself; the La Prensa lead photo carries no credit line.
The text gives a weight ("500 kilograms") but the figures have no kg_seized; check whether it belongs there.
Panama’s Senafront border service seized 914 rectangular packages of suspected marijuana in Playa Muerto, Darién, detaining two people. The operation also netted phones, GPS devices and a twin-engine boat, with detainees and evidence handed to prosecutors.
Interpol's six-week Operation Orca XI across 19 Latin American and Caribbean countries seized 38.5 tonnes of marijuana alongside other drugs and 3,308 illegal firearms, with more than 8,700 people detained. The marijuana was part of multi-drug seizures reported in 10 participating countries between 15 October and 30 November 2025.
Colombia's police director, general William Salamanca, announced on 26 November 2024 that a joint operation south of Isla Jicarón, Veraguas, had seized 1,184 kilos of marijuana and 704 kilos of cocaine from a Go-Fast boat. Three people described as Nicaraguan and Costa Rican were captured and handed to Panamanian authorities.
Panama's border service Senafront and prosecutors seized 5,900 cylindrical capsules of suspected liquid THC in Clarita, Chepo district, during Operación Manto Oscuro. Suspects carrying three sacks fled into the jungle when challenged, and authorities valued the shipment at 500,000 balboas.
