Panama police hunt remaining fugitives after historic prison break

Panamanian authorities are still pursuing fewer than 20 fugitives nearly a week after an unprecedented mass escape from the La Joyita prison, an incident that also claimed the lives of three inmates. The search continues for those still at large from the maximum and medium-security facility located outside Panama City, which houses approximately 4,700 prisoners.

Police recently captured a 42-year-old man, accused of homicide and an inmate from La Joyita's 11th pavilion, in an abandoned house. This capture reduced the number of escapees still unaccounted for to 17, according to local press. Many of the 143 recaptured inmates have already appeared before Guarantee Courts, with several receiving sentences of 36 to 42 months for their escape, as reported by the Public Ministry.

Searches within La Joyita prison over the weekend yielded significant contraband. Authorities confiscated six firearms, over 60 rounds of ammunition, 336 cell phones, five Starlink satellite antennas, 35 Wi-Fi routers, and $9,800 in cash. The Ministry of Public Security released a statement detailing these findings.

The exact circumstances surrounding the massive escape, the deaths of the three inmates, and their identities remain unclear. Initial reports also mentioned nine injured prisoners, six inmates, and three guards, though the health status of the latter has not been updated. The escape occurred after prison authorities transferred a group of "high-profile" inmates from La Joyita to a prison in Chiriquí province, near the Costa Rican border, following a period of "alert," though a direct link has not been confirmed. Panama's prison system, with about a dozen facilities, holds over 24,000 inmates, experiencing a 35% overcrowding rate.