In recent weeks, violence has taken over streets and neighborhoods in various sectors of Panama City, leaving a number of dead and injured.
In the first two months of 2026, 77 homicides have been reported, according to data from the Public Ministry, while 2025 closed with 593 cases.
The authorities assure that the recent shootings recorded in Juan Díaz, Calidonia, Río Abajo and other points in the metropolitan area are related to territorial disputes over the control of the sale and distribution of narcotics.
The first violent incident occurred on March 6 on the main street of Costa del Este, when lawyer Nadine de Jesús Pereira died as a result of shots fired from a vehicle.
Then, on March 29, former representative candidate Jesús The Shark Alemán was killed by several gunshot wounds while participating in a soccer league in the La Radial area, in Juan Díaz.
The Director of Police, Jaime Fernandez, He assured that four people have already been identified in this case and that Alemán was not the target of the attack. In this incident, another 10 people were injured.
Then, on April 3, a shooting occurred in the vicinity of the Centenario building, in which Jorge Molina (alias Bologna), a relative of Carlos Caicedo, who remains detained on drug-related charges, died.
On April 6, another shooting was reported. On this occasion, Jean Carlos Valencia was murdered on the vehicular overpass near the Metromall Shopping Center.
According to some witnesses, the victim was being chased by two men who were traveling on a motorcycle and who opened fire on the vehicle that Valencia was occupying.
According to investigations, the victim had ties to a cell of the Bagdad gang.
Then, on April 7, Karina Torreglosa, 25 years old, died from several gunshots while walking on 11 1/2 Street in Río Abajo. A person traveling in the victim’s car was also injured in the incident. In this shooting, another 10 people were also injured and had to be taken to a medical center.
Río Abajo was once again the scene of a shooting on April 8, when Santiago Labastid del Río and Iván Alberto Rivera were shot to death by several individuals.
After the incident, the Police mounted several operations to locate those responsible for the double homicide, but so far no arrests have been reported.
Also that day, two passengers traveling in a Metrobús were injured when individuals traveling in separate vehicles exchanged shots and public transportation was caught in the middle of the bullets.
On the other hand, in a police investigation carried out in Vacamonte, the Police seized six grenades and 5,330 ammunition of various calibers, including rifles and pistols.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Director of Police, Francisco Castro, assured that these events are related to people who obtain their income from criminal activities.
Castro, who participated in a tour taken by President José Raúl Mulino of the facilities occupied by Panama Ports, assured that these people were linked to different criminal modalities.
The official assured that the Police work hard to neutralize these criminal structures that cause serious harm to the community.
