A 28 -year -old Venezuelan migrant age, indicated as alleged member of the Aragua train and with Alert issued by the United Stateswas Captured in Panama By the border police when he tried to voluntarily return to his country, authorities reported Monday.
The individual “It was apprehended by units of the Third Pacific Battalion of the National Border Service in conjunction with personnel of the National Migration Service, during a verification process through the biometric registration system”said the Senafront.
The arrest occurred in the Jaqué Community, Darién provincenatural border with Colombia that until last year was one of the main migration routes to the United States, confirmed to EFE An official source.
According to the authorities, the migrant “It was irregularly in Panamanian territory and, after verification, it was confirmed that it maintained an alert issued by the United States government, for its alleged link as a member of the criminal group known as the Aragua train”.
Although “He headed towards his country of origin in voluntary return”during the review they were found “A cell phone, two wrappers with possible illicit substance (allegedly marijuana), a smoking pipe and a lighter”. After that “It was made available to the competent authorities for the corresponding procedures”they pointed out official agencies.
He Aragua train It is one Transnational Criminal Band born in Venezuelacountry that crosses tensions with the United States due to Washington’s military deployment in the Caribbean against drug trafficking.
According to official data, More than 13,200 irregular migrants They have entered Panama this year on their way to return to the south after not being able to reach the United States. The Ombudsmen of the People of Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia They report More than 14,000 people returned from Mexico and the US in 2025which consider a growing humanitarian crisis due to reverse migration.
Until 2024, la Darién jungle It was crossed every day by hundreds of migrants heading north. But the policies of the Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino -As the closure of irregular steps and return flights- along with the toughest measures of the new US president, Donald TrumpThey drastically reduced that flow.
So far from 2025, Only 2,934 people The Darién crossed (2,229 in January and just 7 in July), in front of the 302,000 of 2024 and the More than 520,000 2023. Now, thousands of migrants concentrate on Caribbean communities of Panamawaiting for boats to reach the border with Colombia and continue its South return.
