United States-Central America talks focus on drug, migrant trafficking

PANAMA CITY — The U.S. acting homeland security secretary met Thursday in Panama with officials from Central America and Colombia to discuss fighting drug trafficking and migrant smuggling.

Kevin McAleenan described the meeting as “one of the most important engagements we have on security collaboration in the region,” and called for “concrete international actions, investigations and interdictions.”

Panama has been the bridge for migrants from Haiti, Africa and Asia who enter South America seeking to reach the U.S. border. Panama is also a route for cocaine moving up from South America.

“We have to put a stop to it,” Panama Security Minister Rolando Mirones said.

“We do not want those people to come through here ... because allowing these people to come through here is sponsoring people who are criminals,” Mirones added.

Officials at the meeting agreed to tackle drugs and migrant smuggling and discussed getting other transit countries such as Brazil, Ecuador and Mexico involved.

McAleenan said criminal organizations transcend national borders and countries must team up on information sharing, investigations and other concrete actions.

The Panama gathering follows others in recent months between U.S. officials and Central America’s Northern Triangle region of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

The area has been the source of a wave of mostly Central American migrants and asylum seekers heading toward the U.S. border, fleeing poverty and violence in their countries.

Washington struck deals with Mexico and Guatemala earlier this year that aim to reduce the flow.

Panama has seen a spike in migratory traffic through the unforgiving jungles of the Darien Gap, the roadless region of its border with Colombia.

“There are countries where these people are coming from. Those countries have to take responsibility,” Mirones said.

“There are countries where these people enter, such as Ecuador and Brazil, then they go to Colombia and from there to Panama and continue up through Central America. We insist that it is a regional problem.”