Panama's authorities expelled a Cuban national who had become a U.S. citizen on Tuesday. He was wanted by U.S. justice for alleged drug trafficking-related crimes.
The National Migration Service (SNM) reported on Facebook that the man had an outstanding arrest warrant in the state of Florida for alleged cocaine trafficking and sale of controlled substances. His identity was not disclosed.
According to the official statement, the Cuban had been transferred from the province of Chiriquí and remained in custody at the Men's Administrative Migratory Detention Center while his legal status was being verified.
Once the requirements issued by the U.S. authorities were confirmed, SNM inspectors transported him under custody to the United States to bring him before justice.
Panamanian authorities did not specify the detainee's immigration status nor provided details on how he entered the country or the circumstances that led to his location.
The SNM indicated that the expulsion is part of international cooperation mechanisms in the field of security and aims to prevent individuals with pending legal proceedings from remaining in Panamanian territory.
A pattern that has repeated itself this year
The case adds to other similar actions taken by Panama in 2026.
In April, authorities detained a 41-year-old Cuban who was wanted in Texas for alleged conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and human trafficking. The man was traveling from Suriname to Mexico.
One month later, Panama extradited Michel Cedeno Castillo, a Cuban citizen charged in the United States with sexual trafficking, extortion, and cyber harassment, to face proceedings in a federal court in Houston.
Regional cooperation has also extended to other countries. In January, Honduras extradited a Cuban national captured in that country who was wanted through an Interpol red notice.
More deportations and expulsions
Panama's immigration policy has tightened this year. According to figures published by Infobae Panamá, between January and June 2026, the country executed 588 immigration measures, of which 330 were deportations and 258 were expulsions, involving citizens from eleven nationalities linked to investigations for drug trafficking, human trafficking, and other serious crimes.
These actions are being carried out under the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding on orderly, safe, and regular migration signed between Panama and the United States, which facilitates bilateral cooperation in cases involving individuals with pending judicial requirements.
In reporting on the expulsion, the National Migration Service reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining strict immigration control and collaborating with international authorities to prevent individuals wanted by justice from remaining in Panamanian territory.
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