Panama arrests former head of coast guard
Panamanian authorities Monday charged the former head of the coast guard on drug and money laundering charges for allegedly participating in the removal of a ton of cocaine from a seized cargo ship and the sale of the drugs in Mexico.
Ricardo Traad Porras, who headed Panama's National Maritime Service until March, was arrested Saturday after a month-long investigation, according to an Associated Press report.
The arrest stemmed from an incident in January 2006, when the U.S. Coast Guard seized a Panamanian-flag general cargo ship carrying drugs.
Panamanian anti-drug prosecutor Jose Ayu Prado said a U.S. Coast Guard crew had discovered one ton of cocaine on the vessel and turned the ship over to Panamanian authorities. But when questioning suspects from the ship, U.S. authorities learned there was another ton of cocaine in a hidden compartment. When they returned to search the vessel, the hidden compartment was empty.
Prosecutors allege the missing drugs were transferred to a Colombian-flagged cargo ship, then sold in Mexico.
In addition to the arrest of Traad, authorities arrested Edilberto Luna, the maritime service's chief of operations, in connection with the case, the report said.
Panama arrests former head of coast guard
