Panamanian border police arrested 15 people on Wednesday linked to a criminal organization that helped smuggle Chinese migrants through the Darién jungle on a “VIP route” that involves fewer obstacles.
The arrests took place in the city of Santa Fe, near the town of Meteti in the province of Darién, the dense jungle-covered border region between Panama and Colombia that hundreds of thousands of migrants cross on their way to the United States.
More than half a million people crossed the so-called Darién Gap in 2023, where migrants face dangers such as raging rivers, wild animals and criminal gangs that rob, rape and kill those who travel through the lawless forest.
But the “VIP route” – which used off-road vehicles and even horses – sped up what could sometimes be a weeks-long journey, at least for those who could afford it.
This year, more than 220,000 people have crossed the jungle, mostly Venezuelan migrants, but also people from Ecuador, Colombia, Haiti and China.
According to local prosecutor Emeldo Marquez, the latter group were the first migrants to pay to use the “VIP route” operated by the criminal gang.
He attributed this to their generally higher purchasing power compared to other migrant groups.
“It is a route called ‘VIP’ because it offers them the opportunity to move faster than the route used by the rest of the migrants,” Marquez told AFP.
The number of Chinese migrants crossing the Darién Gap has skyrocketed in recent years, from 296 between 2010 and 2019 to 12,000 by 2024, according to Panama government figures.
The “VIP route” cost between $2,600 and $8,000 per person and was used to transport more than 700 migrants through Panama, according to Marquez.
The route followed a different course than the typical trails through the Darién Gap, which can take five to eight days to complete.
Instead, migrants left the towns of Capurgana or Necocli on the Colombian coast and traveled by sea to the villages of Carreto or Caledonia in Panama.
From there, they crossed the jungle in an average of two days, using various modes of transport, including canoes, horses, and even off-road vehicles.
The regular route costs about $500 per person.
All 15 suspects arrested were Panamanians, although Marquez claimed they worked for Colombian gangs.
If convicted, each person faces 15 to 20 years in prison.
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