Bill Hagerty Presses Ambassador Nom On Panama's 'Outsized Role' In Combatting Illicit Drug Trade

4/1/2025

During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing last week, Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) questioned Panama Ambassador nominee, Kevin Cabrera, about Panama's role in the international illicit drug trade.

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Transcript

00:00Senator Hagerty.

00:02Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member.

00:04And first, I want to congratulate all three of you on your nominations,

00:08and I want to thank you for your willingness to serve our great nation.

00:11If you're confirmed, each of you are going to play critically important roles

00:16in advancing our nation's and our President's foreign policy.

00:19And that policy will make a marked difference at a point in time

00:23where I think we're literally at a turning point as a nation and a world.

00:27First, Mr. Cabrera, I'd like to start with you to talk about drug trafficking in the Panama region.

00:34Transnational criminal organizations from countries like Colombia and Mexico

00:40have long used Panama to smuggle illicit drugs,

00:44and they've done it to the tune of billions of dollars.

00:48Last year alone, the State Department estimates that up to 40 percent of cocaine

00:53that was produced in Colombia had transited through the exclusive economic zones of Panama.

01:01And for far too long, these transnational criminal organizations have acted with impunity.

01:06They've been able to make billions of profits,

01:09and they've done this bringing these drugs into our own borders.

01:13Panama can play an outsized role in cooperating with the United States

01:18in seizing these illicit drugs,

01:20and also cooperate with us to dramatically scale down these organizations,

01:25these transnational criminal organizations' operations.

01:29If you're confirmed, Mr. Cabrera, do you commit to use all the tools at your disposal

01:33to ensure that the Panamanian government continues to collaborate with the United States

01:38in taking strong actions against these criminal organizations

01:41and stopping the flow of illicit drugs into America?

01:45Thank you, Senator, for that question.

01:46I'll say that this issue is another one where we've had great success in these past 60 days.

01:51Since Secretary Rubio visited in January and February,

01:54we've seen 95 percent less crossings than the Darien Gap.

01:57And why do I mention the Darien Gap?

01:59A lot of these drugs that are coming in go through the Darien Gap.

02:02This is an area where you had over two years ago over 500,000 folks crossing.

02:06When we talk about the southern border, those 500,000 people are crossing on their way to our southern border.

02:12In these past two months, we've had significant inroads where 95 percent decreases.

02:17As you mentioned, 40 percent of the cocaine in this country comes through Panama.

02:21But Panama, I will say, is a great ally in this.

02:24They've been our number one in seizing drugs, over 100 metric tons the last four years in a row.

02:29They've been number one in Central America.

02:31We've been a good ally in helping them get helicopters and boats and so on

02:34so they can compete with some of these traffickers.

02:37But again, there's always room for improvement,

02:40but they've been a great ally in this and look forward to continuing that

02:42and using all the tools that are at our disposal to continue to making sure

02:47that we stop as many metric tons of drugs coming through that border through the Darien Gap.

02:52And again, it goes hand in hand with migration is what I would say.

02:55Kevin, I hope you're confirmed, and I want you to know that the resources in my office will be available to you

03:00once you are ambassador to the extent we can help you at all

03:03because this is a critical mission that we've got to deal with.

03:05Thank you, Senator. I look forward to working with you at your office if confirmed.

03:08Certainly, Governor.

Bill Hagerty Presses Ambassador Nom On Panama's 'Outsized Role' In Combatting Illicit Drug Trade

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