Operations against illegal mining in Darién target Clan del Golfo

Panamanian forces are intensifying operations against illegal gold mining in the Darién jungle, a remote border region with Colombia, targeting camps controlled by the powerful Colombian criminal organization, the Clan del Golfo. These illegal mining activities have devastated the landscape, with miners fleeing at the sound of Panamanian helicopters.

Héctor De Sedas Cedeño, deputy director general of the National Border Service (Senafront), stated that the goal is to dismantle the "complex system of illicit economy" driven by illegal gold extraction, which is firmly controlled by the Clan del Golfo, identified as Colombia's largest criminal group. Reaching these remote sites, like the Mangle River, requires extensive helicopter flights and specialized jungle patrols lasting several days.

Recent operations in the Mangle River area resulted in 30 arrests, including both Panamanians and Colombians. De Sedas noted that individuals continue to engage in illegal mining despite these efforts, fleeing when Panamanian aircraft are detected. He emphasized that the Clan del Golfo's control extends to illicit activities within Darién, originating from Colombian territory.

The Clan del Golfo's criminal enterprises include drug trafficking, migrant smuggling, illegal mining, and extortion. De Sedas recalled past confrontations with the group during the 2019-2024 migrant crisis, where Senafront engaged in firefights with those involved in trafficking people. The organization profits by charging migrants to enter Panama and by purchasing gold extracted from Panamanian territory, reportedly taking a 20% cut from miners. This intricate network of illicit economies is what Panamanian authorities are determined to break. The article also mentions the existence of binational security posts along the 266-kilometer jungle border, housing both Panamanian and Colombian forces.