{"id":511792,"date":"2026-06-19T20:46:35","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T00:46:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/deultimominuto.net\/en\/uncategorized\/panamanian-woman-linked-to-criminal-network-was-captured-in-spain\/"},"modified":"2026-06-19T20:46:35","modified_gmt":"2026-06-20T00:46:35","slug":"panamanian-woman-linked-to-criminal-network-was-captured-in-spain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/deultimominuto.com\/en\/international\/panamanian-woman-linked-to-criminal-network-was-captured-in-spain\/","title":{"rendered":"“Panamanian woman linked to criminal network was captured in Spain”"},"content":{"rendered":"“n

The cooperation<\/strong> between the authorities<\/strong> of Panama, Spain and Interpol allowed<\/strong> the capture<\/strong> in Spanish territory<\/strong> of Stephany Maryel Villarreal, accused<\/strong> by the Panamanian authorities<\/strong> as an alleged member<\/strong> of a structure<\/strong><\/a> dedicated to money laundering<\/strong> from drug trafficking and linked to Jaime Powell Rodr\u00edguez, alias \u201cYunya\u201d<\/strong>, one of the names that for years has appeared in investigations related to organized crime<\/strong> international.<\/p>n”\n\n“n

<\/a>The arrest<\/strong> took place<\/strong> as part of the efforts<\/strong> derived from the so-called Operation<\/strong> Exodus<\/strong>, an investigation<\/strong> developed<\/strong> mainly in the province<\/strong> of Colon and aimed<\/strong> at dismantling<\/strong> a network<\/strong> dedicated to international drug trafficking<\/strong> and money<\/strong> laundering<\/strong> through operations<\/strong> linked to ports<\/strong> located on the Panamanian Atlantic coast.<\/p>n”\n\n“n

According to the National Police<\/strong>, Villarreal was wanted<\/strong> by Panamanian authorities<\/strong> for her alleged participation<\/strong> in activities<\/strong> related to money<\/strong> laundering<\/strong> and will now face<\/strong> an extradition<\/strong> process<\/strong> that must<\/strong> be processed<\/strong> through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs so that she can appear<\/strong> before the Panamanian justice system<\/strong>.<\/a><\/p>n”\n\n“n

The capture<\/strong> brings<\/strong> back<\/strong> to public<\/strong> attention<\/strong> the name<\/strong> of Jaime Powell Rodr\u00edguez<\/strong>, alias \u201cYunya\u201d<\/strong>, a figure<\/strong> who for years has appeared<\/strong> in investigations<\/strong> conducted<\/strong> both in Panama and abroad.<\/p>n”\n\n“n

Powell was arrested<\/strong> in February 2023 in Madrid, Spain, in an operation<\/strong> coordinated<\/strong> between Panamanian and Spanish authorities<\/strong>. Subsequently, a Guarantees<\/strong> Court in Panama ordered<\/strong> his provisional<\/strong> detention<\/strong> for extradition<\/strong> purposes within an investigation<\/strong> for the crime<\/strong> of forgery<\/strong> of documents in general.<\/p>n”\n\n“n

We recommend reading:Woman dies stabbed allegedly at the hands of her ex-partner in Panama<\/a><\/strong><\/a><\/p>n”\n\n“n

Operation Exodus is investigating an alleged structure that used ports on the Panamanian Atlantic coast to ship drug cargoes to Europe. Composition: Infobae<\/p>n”\n\n“n

The authorities<\/strong> had also previously<\/strong> linked<\/strong> him to investigations<\/strong> for gang activity<\/strong> and illicit<\/strong> association<\/strong>. In 2018, Panamanian security<\/strong> agencies<\/strong> reported<\/strong> that he had been located<\/strong> in the United Arab Emirates amid inquiries<\/strong> related to transnational criminal structures<\/strong>.<\/p>n”\n\n“n

Operation<\/strong> Exodus<\/strong> represents<\/strong> one of the most<\/strong> extensive<\/strong> investigations<\/strong> conducted<\/strong> in recent<\/strong> years<\/strong> against drug<\/strong> trafficking<\/strong> networks<\/strong> with the capacity<\/strong> to operate<\/strong> from Panama to Europe.<\/p>n”\n\n“n

According to court<\/strong> records<\/strong>, the investigations<\/strong> began<\/strong> in February 2023 and made it possible<\/strong> to identify<\/strong> a criminal structure<\/strong> allegedly dedicated to contaminating<\/strong> containers<\/strong> with shipments<\/strong> of drugs<\/strong> that were subsequently sent<\/strong> to ports<\/strong> in Spain, Croatia, the Netherlands, and other European countries.<\/p>n”\n\n“n

According to the Prosecutor’s Office<\/strong>, the organization<\/strong> used<\/strong> a sophisticated<\/strong> network<\/strong> of contacts<\/strong> in ports<\/strong> and logistics<\/strong> companies<\/strong> to introduce<\/strong> drugs<\/strong> into containers<\/strong> destined for international trade.<\/p>n”\n\n“n

The investigations<\/strong> also revealed<\/strong> that the members<\/strong> of the structure<\/strong> used<\/strong> the encrypted<\/strong> communication<\/strong> platform<\/strong> Sky ECC, a system<\/strong> used<\/strong> by criminal<\/strong> organizations<\/strong> in different countries and whose content<\/strong> was decrypted<\/strong> during an international operation<\/strong> led<\/strong> by Europol. Spain has been the scene of several captures of Panamanian citizens wanted in investigations for drug trafficking and money laundering. <\/p>n”\n\n“n

Access<\/strong> to those communications<\/strong> allowed<\/strong> the authorities<\/strong> to reconstruct movements, contacts, and operations<\/strong> attributed<\/strong> to groups<\/strong> dedicated<\/strong> to international drug trafficking<\/strong>.<\/p>n”\n\n“n

Villarreal’s capture<\/strong> adds<\/strong> to an increasingly extensive<\/strong> list<\/strong> of arrests<\/strong> of Panamanian citizens<\/strong> or people<\/strong> linked<\/strong> to national criminal organizations<\/strong> located<\/strong> in Spain over the last few years.<\/p>n”\n\n“n

One of the most recent<\/strong> cases<\/strong> occurred<\/strong> in May of this year, when the Spanish National Police captured<\/strong> Juan Carlos Valencia Escobar, alias \u201cThe Lawyer<\/strong>,\u201d in the Plaza de Santa Ana in Madrid, identified<\/strong> by Panamanian authorities<\/strong> as one of the main<\/strong> leaders<\/strong> of the Bagdad-Santa Eduviges gang<\/strong>.<\/p>n”\n\n“n

His arrest<\/strong> occurred<\/strong> following an international<\/strong> alert<\/strong> issued<\/strong> by Interpol Panama and was considered<\/strong> one of the most important<\/strong> blows<\/strong> against that criminal<\/strong> structure<\/strong> with a presence<\/strong> in East Panama. The relationship<\/strong> between Panamanian<\/strong> criminal<\/strong> organizations<\/strong> and Spain is not new either. Jaime Powell Rodr\u00edguez, alias \u201cYunya\u201d, has been mentioned in various investigations related to money laundering and transnational organized crime. Courtesy<\/p>n”\n\n“n

In February 2023, Spanish authorities<\/strong> captured<\/strong> in Pozuelo de Alarc\u00f3n, Madrid, the person they identified<\/strong> as the leader<\/strong> of the so-called \u201cBaghdad Cartel\u201d<\/strong>, an organization<\/strong> accused<\/strong> of international drug and arms trafficking<\/strong>.<\/p>n”\n\n“n

That investigation<\/strong> originated<\/strong> from information<\/strong> provided<\/strong> by the United States Department of the Treasury and allowed<\/strong> for the discovery<\/strong> of money<\/strong> laundering<\/strong> operations<\/strong> that included<\/strong> the trading<\/strong> of gold bullion<\/strong> from Panama, international financial<\/strong> movements<\/strong>, and the use of cryptocurrencies to conceal illicitly obtained resources.<\/p>n”\n\n“n

As a result<\/strong> of that operation<\/strong> ten people<\/strong> were arrested<\/strong>, 92 bank accounts<\/strong> were blocked<\/strong> and 39 properties<\/strong> valued<\/strong> at more than 1.5 million dollars were seized<\/strong>.<\/p>n”\n\n“n

Panamanian security<\/strong> agencies<\/strong> consider<\/strong> that the recurrent<\/strong> presence<\/strong> of citizens<\/strong> linked<\/strong> to national criminal structures<\/strong> in Spain reflects<\/strong> the international<\/strong> reach<\/strong> that some organizations<\/strong> dedicated<\/strong> to drug trafficking<\/strong> and money laundering<\/strong> have achieved<\/strong>.<\/p>n”\n\n“n

You can also read: Construction of prison for 3,000 inmates generates rejection in Panama<\/a><\/strong><\/p>n”\n\n“n

The authorities<\/strong> maintain<\/strong> that many of these networks<\/strong> use<\/strong> Panama’s geographical<\/strong> position<\/strong>, its port<\/strong> activity<\/strong>, and its international logistical<\/strong> connections<\/strong> to move<\/strong> shipments<\/strong> of drugs<\/strong> destined for Europe and subsequently channel<\/strong> the profits<\/strong> through money laundering<\/strong> mechanisms<\/strong>.<\/p>n”\n\n“n

With the capture<\/strong> of Stephany Maryel Villarreal, the investigation<\/strong> of Operation<\/strong> Exodus<\/strong> adds<\/strong> a new<\/strong> chapter<\/strong> to a process<\/strong> that remains<\/strong> open<\/strong> and that seeks<\/strong> to determine<\/strong> the true<\/strong> dimension<\/strong> of a structure<\/strong> that, according to the authorities<\/strong>, managed<\/strong> to operate<\/strong> simultaneously in Panama and several European countries using ports, encrypted<\/strong> communications<\/strong>, and complex<\/strong> financial<\/strong> mechanisms<\/strong> to hide<\/strong> resources derived from drug trafficking.<\/p>n”","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“n 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 Rodr\u00edguez, alias \u201cYunya\u201d, one of the names that for years […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133556,"featured_media":511793,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[95],"tags":[44236,14665,40563],"class_list":["post-511792","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-international","tag-cooperation","tag-panama","tag-spain"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/phj1q1-298I","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/deultimominuto.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/BDUBLJAYYRGRFIZTJD4P47TGPQ.avif","dum_api":{"author_name":"Yerandi Santana","author_image":"https:\/\/deultimominuto.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/cropped-WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-13-at-5.35.07-PM-96x96.jpeg","categories_name":["International"],"featured_media_url":"https:\/\/cdn.deultimominuto.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/BDUBLJAYYRGRFIZTJD4P47TGPQ.avif"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/deultimominuto.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/511792","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/deultimominuto.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/deultimominuto.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deultimominuto.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/133556"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deultimominuto.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=511792"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/deultimominuto.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/511792\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deultimominuto.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/511793"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/deultimominuto.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=511792"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deultimominuto.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=511792"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deultimominuto.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=511792"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}