A mother and her daughter, aged 80 and 53 respectively, were sentenced to 12 months in prison after being caught at Tocumen International Airport in Panama with $117,310 in cash that they were carrying hidden among shoes, plastic bags, and articles of clothing.
The two Ecuadorian citizens, traveling from Guayaquil, were in transit through Panamanian territory when they were intercepted by officials of the National Customs Authority (ANA) during baggage checks at the country's main airport terminal.
The first intervention occurred when inspectors detected suspicious images on the X-ray scanner. The passenger denied carrying amounts of money subject to declaration, but a secondary search led to the discovery of $63,230 distributed among several pairs of shoes.
In a second inspection, authorities found another $54,080 hidden among her daughter's belongings, who was traveling on the same flight. Both cases were referred to the Public Prosecutor's Office after it was confirmed that neither had declared the cash.
Judges Francisco Carpintero and Edgar Naterón Rodríguez validated the plea agreements reached between the Prosecutor's Office and the defense, and issued guilty verdicts on November 11 and 12 for forgery of documents in general.
In addition to the sentence, the courts ordered the forfeiture of $97,310, the...
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Panamanian authorities found USD 117,310 hidden among shoes, plastic bags, and clothing. Taken from InstagramA mother and her daughter, aged 80 and 53 respectively, were sentenced to 12 months in prison after being caught at Tocumen International Airport in Panama with $117,310 in cash that they were carrying hidden among shoes, plastic bags, and clothing. The two Ecuadorian citizens, who were traveling from Guayaquil, were in transit through Panamanian territory when they were intercepted by officials from the National Customs Authority (ANA) during baggage checks at the country's main air terminal. The first intervention occurred when inspectors detected suspicious images through the X-ray scanner. The passenger denied carrying amounts of money subject to declaration, but a secondary inspection allowed officials to locate $63,230 distributed among several pairs of shoes. In a second inspection, authorities found another $54,080 hidden among her daughter's belongings, who was traveling on the same flight. Both cases were referred to the Public Prosecutor's Office after it was confirmed that neither had declared the cash. The two passengers were traveling from Ecuador and were in transit through Tocumen International Airport. EFE/Carlos Lemos
Guarantee judges Francisco Carpintero and Edgar Naterón Rodríguez validated the plea agreements reached between the Prosecutor's Office and the defense, and issued conviction rulings on November 11 and 12 for general document falsification. In addition to the conviction, the courts ordered the forfeiture of $97,310, the immediate deportation of both foreign nationals, and a permanent ban on entering Panamanian territory. The financial penalties amounted to $150 for the mother and $100 for the daughter. The prison sentences were replaced by public censure, while the fines must be paid to the National Treasury. The Judicial Branch did not specify the origin of the money or the passengers' final destination. Panamanian legislation establishes controls on the cross-border movement of cash. Article 375-A of the Penal Code provides for prison sentences of two to four years and forfeiture of the funds when amounts exceeding $10,000 are not declared or false information is provided. The guarantee judges ordered the forfeiture of USD 97,310 and the immediate deportation of both women. (Illustrative image Infobae)A Customs resolution, published in January 2025, stipulates that travelers must complete the corresponding sworn declaration when carrying amounts equal to or greater than $10,000, so amounts below that threshold are exempt from this obligation. The measure does not prohibit carrying large amounts of money, but rather seeks to identify its origin, establish who its beneficiary is, and prevent crimes related to money laundering, terrorism financing, and other organized crime activities. Executive Decree 472 of 2017 establishes information exchange mechanisms between security institutions, while Law 23 of 2015 provides that Customs report cash declarations and corresponding forfeitures to the Financial Analysis Unit. The case of the Ecuadorians adds to other interventions recorded during 2026. On August 12, Customs detained a couple from Suriname who were carrying $69,335 undeclared, while in July it detected a Colombian with $15,504 hidden in a backpack. Panamanian legislation establishes controls on cross-border cash transportation to prevent money laundering. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoThe controls have also made it possible to detect shipments of precious metals. In March, customs officials seized 13 packages of alleged melted gold that a Peruvian passenger was carrying undeclared, and opened an investigation to determine the origin of the material. In August, immigration authorities prevented three Venezuelans from continuing their journey as they were carrying 76 gold bars without documentation proving their origin. Days earlier, another passenger had been returned to Colombia after 16 kilograms of ingots valued at approximately $1.96 million were detected. The recent detention of the Ecuadorians took place within the framework of the Christmas without Smuggling 2026 operation, deployed since November 1 to reinforce border surveillance and combat customs fraud during the end-of-year season.