The National Police of Panama has removed the Director of Penitentiary Security, Luis García, from his post this Wednesday, following the escape of 195 inmates from a maximum-security prison located on the outskirts of Panama City. In his place, the authorities have appointed Basilio Sánchez as the new head of the area.
"It is reported that Commissioner Basilio Sánchez has been appointed as the new national director of Penitentiary Security, with the responsibility of overseeing security measures and the internal investigation," the statement indicated.
In the same note, the police force specified that in the last few hours, ten more fugitives have been apprehended, bringing the total number of recaptured individuals to 133 following the riot on Monday at the La Joyita prison, an incident that also caused material damage in several areas of the facility.
"Police units have coordinated strict patrols, checkpoints, and intelligence operations to intensify the search and ensure the recapture of the escapees. In parallel, the National Police maintains control and security within the penitentiary centers, where a thorough search is being conducted in all blocks," it added.
La Joyita prison is located in the corregimiento of Las Garzas, in the province of Panama, east of the capital. This penitentiary center, which houses leaders of criminal organizations, has been the scene of multiple escapes and disturbances in recent years, and is therefore considered the core of the prison crisis affecting the Central American country.
La Joyita was designed to house approximately 2,800 inmates, but in 2025 it held more than 4,700 inmates, according to official figures released by the Panamanian television channel TVN. This overcrowding, 65% above its theoretical capacity, has led to repeated complaints about the conditions of overcrowding endured by the incarcerated individuals in the prison.