Two passengers arriving from Havana were placed at the disposal of the Public Ministry of Panama after being caught with significant amounts of undeclared cash at two airports in the country, reported the National Customs Authority.
The first case occurred at Panama Pacifico airport. During a joint inspection by Customs officials and agents from the National Aeronaval Service (SENAN), a passenger arriving from Cuba was found with $10,440 in cash in her hand luggage.
In checking the money, the inspectors also found that four 100-dollar bills showed irregularities during the authenticity tests, leading them to be considered potentially counterfeit.
The second incident occurred at Tocumen International Airport. A traveler of Cuban nationality, holding a Chilean passport and aged 52, stated that he was carrying only 1,000 dollars.
However, during the baggage check, the scanner images alerted the agents to possible concealed objects, leading to a more thorough inspection.
In that inspection, $14,400 was found hidden both in the carry-on luggage and among the passenger's clothing, money that had not been declared to the authorities.
Both cases were referred to the Public Prosecutor's Office for the appropriate investigations.
Panamanian legislation requires all travelers to declare the entry or exit of amounts equal to or exceeding 10,000 dollars using the Digital Traveler's Affidavit. Failing to comply with this obligation may lead to investigations for suspected financial crimes, including money laundering.
It is not about isolated incidents. In November 2025, a 48-year-old Cuban was detained at Tocumen Airport with $135,300 hidden in double compartments of two backpacks. The traveler, who had an Ecuadorian passport, had only declared $5,000.
That same month, two other Cuban citizens were detained at the same terminal with $50,000 in undeclared cash —$25,000 each— hidden during the body search, despite claiming that they were not traveling together.
Also in January 2025, another Cuban citizen was discovered at Panama Pacifico with $25,000 hidden inside a book, while in August of that year a 26-year-old Cuban man was intercepted at the same airport with $12,000 undeclared.
In several of these cases, Cuban travelers carried passports issued by third countries, such as Chile or Ecuador, a situation that has also been identified in recent investigations by Panamanian authorities.
In Cuba, current legislation limits the amount of foreign currency that a person can take out of the country to 5,000 dollars without specific authorization from the Central Bank, a limit that is lower than the amounts detected by Panamanian authorities in these cases.
The National Customs Authority emphasized that these controls aim to prevent financial crimes, strengthen national security, and ensure compliance with customs regulations by travelers.
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