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The cooperation between the authorities of Panama, Spain and Interpol allowed the capture in Spanish territory of Stephany Maryel Villarreal, accused by the Panamanian authorities as an alleged member of a structure dedicated to money laundering from drug trafficking and linked to Jaime Powell Rodríguez, alias “Yunya”, one of the names that for years has appeared in investigations related to organized crime international.
n” “nThe arrest took place as part of the efforts derived from the so-called Operation Exodus, an investigation developed mainly in the province of Colon and aimed at dismantling a network dedicated to international drug trafficking and money laundering through operations linked to ports located on the Panamanian Atlantic coast.
n” “nAccording to the National Police, Villarreal was wanted by Panamanian authorities for her alleged participation in activities related to money laundering and will now face an extradition process that must be processed through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs so that she can appear before the Panamanian justice system.
n” “nThe capture brings back to public attention the name of Jaime Powell Rodríguez, alias “Yunya”, a figure who for years has appeared in investigations conducted both in Panama and abroad.
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Powell was arrested in February 2023 in Madrid, Spain, in an operation coordinated between Panamanian and Spanish authorities. Subsequently, a Guarantees Court in Panama ordered his provisional detention for extradition purposes within an investigation for the crime of forgery of documents in general.
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n” “nOperation Exodus is investigating an alleged structure that used ports on the Panamanian Atlantic coast to ship drug cargoes to Europe. Composition: Infobae
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The authorities had also previously linked him to investigations for gang activity and illicit association. In 2018, Panamanian security agencies reported that he had been located in the United Arab Emirates amid inquiries related to transnational criminal structures.
n” “nOperation Exodus represents one of the most extensive investigations conducted in recent years against drug trafficking networks with the capacity to operate from Panama to Europe.
n” “nAccording to court records, the investigations began in February 2023 and made it possible to identify a criminal structure allegedly dedicated to contaminating containers with shipments of drugs that were subsequently sent to ports in Spain, Croatia, the Netherlands, and other European countries.
n” “nAccording to the Prosecutor’s Office, the organization used a sophisticated network of contacts in ports and logistics companies to introduce drugs into containers destined for international trade.
n” “nThe investigations also revealed that the members of the structure used the encrypted communication platform Sky ECC, a system used by criminal organizations in different countries and whose content was decrypted during an international operation led by Europol. Spain has been the scene of several captures of Panamanian citizens wanted in investigations for drug trafficking and money laundering.
Access to those communications allowed the authorities to reconstruct movements, contacts, and operations attributed to groups dedicated to international drug trafficking.
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Villarreal’s capture adds to an increasingly extensive list of arrests of Panamanian citizens or people linked to national criminal organizations located in Spain over the last few years.
n” “nOne of the most recent cases occurred in May of this year, when the Spanish National Police captured Juan Carlos Valencia Escobar, alias “The Lawyer,” in the Plaza de Santa Ana in Madrid, identified by Panamanian authorities as one of the main leaders of the Bagdad-Santa Eduviges gang.
n” “nHis arrest occurred following an international alert issued by Interpol Panama and was considered one of the most important blows against that criminal structure with a presence in East Panama. The relationship between Panamanian criminal organizations and Spain is not new either. Jaime Powell Rodríguez, alias “Yunya”, has been mentioned in various investigations related to money laundering and transnational organized crime. Courtesy
n” “nIn February 2023, Spanish authorities captured in Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, the person they identified as the leader of the so-called “Baghdad Cartel”, an organization accused of international drug and arms trafficking.
n” “nThat investigation originated from information provided by the United States Department of the Treasury and allowed for the discovery of money laundering operations that included the trading of gold bullion from Panama, international financial movements, and the use of cryptocurrencies to conceal illicitly obtained resources.
n” “nAs a result of that operation ten people were arrested, 92 bank accounts were blocked and 39 properties valued at more than 1.5 million dollars were seized.
n” “nPanamanian security agencies consider that the recurrent presence of citizens linked to national criminal structures in Spain reflects the international reach that some organizations dedicated to drug trafficking and money laundering have achieved.
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n” “nThe authorities maintain that many of these networks use Panama’s geographical position, its port activity, and its international logistical connections to move shipments of drugs destined for Europe and subsequently channel the profits through money laundering mechanisms.
n” “nWith the capture of Stephany Maryel Villarreal, the investigation of Operation Exodus adds a new chapter to a process that remains open and that seeks to determine the true dimension of a structure that, according to the authorities, managed to operate simultaneously in Panama and several European countries using ports, encrypted communications, and complex financial mechanisms to hide resources derived from drug trafficking.
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