Legal actions taken in Panama and Peru following theft and robbery incidents

In Panama, a 28-year-old man has been placed in provisional detention following an aggravated theft at the José Santos Puga school in Santiago, Veraguas. Investigators report that on the night of September 18, 2026, the suspect and unidentified accomplices allegedly entered the premises, causing infrastructure damage and stealing $3,012 in administrative savings and $47 from the Parents' Association. The theft of technological equipment and student cell phones is also under investigation. This incident follows a trend of vandalism affecting at least eight schools in the Veraguas province this year.

In Peru, the Superior Court of Justice of Puno has sentenced José Luis Gonzalo Puraca to life imprisonment for aggravated robbery. The conviction stems from a June 2023 incident where Puraca used a firearm to assault a university student, striking him in the head to steal S/ 1,500 intended for tuition payments. The court ordered Puraca to pay S/ 30,000 in civil reparations and mandated his immediate transfer to the Qencoro prison.