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Panama Denies Entry to Two Ecuadorians Suspected of Links to Los Choneros Gang
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Crime & Justice

Panama Denies Entry to Two Ecuadorians Suspected of Links to Los Choneros Gang

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement Outcome reported
  • Panama's immigration authorities denied entry to two Ecuadorian citizens due to suspected ties to the Los Choneros criminal gang.
  • The two men arrived at Tocumen International Airport from Manta, Ecuador, with Panama as their final destination.
  • Los Choneros, designated a terrorist organization by Ecuador and the U.S., is linked to drug trafficking, and its former leader 'Fito' was extradited to the U.S. in 2025.

Panama has prevented two Ecuadorian nationals from entering the country, citing their alleged connections to the notorious Los Choneros criminal gang. The individuals arrived at the capital's Tocumen International Airport from Manta, Ecuador, intending to travel to Panama.

According to a statement from Panama's National Migration Service (SNM), the men were denied entry based on "security information linking them to a criminal structure" identified as Los Choneros. They are scheduled to be returned to their point of origin in accordance with current immigration laws.

Los Choneros is recognized as Ecuador's oldest criminal organization, heavily involved in drug trafficking. The Ecuadorian government declared it a terrorist organization in 2024, followed by the U.S. designation in 2025. The gang's former leader, José Adolfo Macías Villamar, known as 'Fito,' was extradited to the United States in 2025 and is currently awaiting trial in a New York prison on charges including drug trafficking.

DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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