SECURITY ALERT ARMED ROBBERY AGAINST US VESSEL LAS PERLAS, PANAMA Monday March 27, 2023

[Atlantic Posse]

ARMED ROBBERY ALERT
PANAMA LAS PERLAS
AVOID AREA

Release Date: Tuesday, March 28, 2023
A U.S. flagged sailboat was boarded at gunpoint at 2000 hours off the coast of Isla Del Rey near the islet of La Nina in the Las Perlas. The islands are off the Pacific Coast near the Panama Canal.
The four attackers broke the door and windows of the boat and forcefully made the 4 Americans lie on the floor. The Captain of the vessel suffered head injuries from being hit in the head with a gun. The men also carried machetes.
They stayed aboard the boat, named Constellation , for 90 minutes. They stole all valuable items including passports, phones, electronics, computers, jewelry including wedding rings, money and their dog.
The sailing vessel Constellation made their way back to La Playita Marina in Amador Panama City at 0400 hours on Tuesday March 28. The Captain is getting medical attention and reported this incident to the Panama Police.
This is the second armed robbery in this same area of the Las Perlas within a month. Another U.S. flagged boat was also boarded at gun point and the two people aboard were tied up as the 4 robbers stole all their valuables. They reported this to the Panama Police on February 27, 2023.
The sailing vessel Constellation is a member of the Panama Posse, a boat rally with over 325 boats a year participating. The Panama Posse was formed in 2017 to support boats to safely travel between the canal on the East and West Coast of North and Central America.


Contact Info:
Suzanne A. DuBose-Public Relations, Panama Posse
[email protected]​

​

 

[MR.CLEAN]

Bummer. Some of the best big animal diving I've ever done is right there. Caught a fucking 25 pound squid just off the north tip of the chain too that knocked over the BO with a jet of gut water on deck.

 

['Bacco]

They took the dog too? Thats cold.

 

[TheDragon]

makes me glad I skipped the Las Perlas last year.

 

[Parma]

There's 1,676 people on that island. Guaranteed someone knows 4 young criminal black dudes with a zodiac. I mean, how many zodiac RIB type boats are there in total? On the north side of the island?

 

[MR.CLEAN]

They took the dog too? Thats cold.

coulda been a lot worse. fucking place is about as isolated as it gets in centroamerica

 

[MR.CLEAN]

someone knows 4 young criminal black dudes with a zodiac.

what do you think the residents gonna do what that info? This place been a pirate refuge for 500 years

 

[Parma]

what do you think the residents gonna do what that info? This place been a pirate refuge for 500 years

offer to sell them some of their stuff back, esp the dog.

 

[kent_island_sailor]

WTF did they steal a DOG for

 

[Hitchhiker]

WTF did they steal a DOG for

Dinner.

 

[See Level]

Gotta pick up a little something for the girlfriend.

 

[See Level]

Looks like they're from Seattle

Freedom 45 CC - Our boat - CONSTELLATION SAILING

S/V Constellation is a 1991 Freedom 45 CC (Center Cockpit) sailboat. Read more about our upgrades and features for offshore sailing.

constellationsailing.com

 

[Papakina]

We are currently in Las Perlas, not far from Isla Mina. Beautiful cruising grounds. Have spent time some months back in the areas mentioned. Some say the problem are all local. Others say trouble comes from Columbia with the constant wholesale drug flow.

 

[Parma]

WTF did they steal a DOG for

ransom

 

[Papakina]

Perception of risk is often a subjective process. Certainly after the 2 recent events I'm not going to anchor in remote areas of the Perlas. Today we moved from Pacheca to Contadora. Still if you look at the reports the Caribbean side seems to have more problems. I have had no problems in Panama during the year+ I've been here, might just be lucky. During early Covid days I was stuck in Seattle, a number of times I ran into nasty trouble on the street, maybe just unlucky.

 

[Papakina]

There's 1,676 people on that island. Guaranteed someone knows 4 young criminal black dudes with a zodiac. I mean, how many zodiac RIB type boats are there in total? On the north side of the island?

 

[Papakina]

Usually they just want the motor, they slash and dispose of the dink.

 

[bgytr]

The sailing vessel Constellation is a member of the Panama Posse, a boat rally with over 325 boats a year participating​

So the sailors got significant numbers. maybe mob rule, go ashore with the lot of em and get some good ol payback.

 

[TheDragon]

The sailing vessel Constellation is a member of the Panama Posse, a boat rally with over 325 boats a year participating​

So the sailors got significant numbers. maybe mob rule, go ashore with the lot of em and get some good ol payback.

Those boats are strewn all over the place, including many that have already left for FP.

 

[justsomeguy!]

WTF did they steal a DOG for

Power is my guess. They knew it would hurt the owners as much or worse than the other stuff that was taken.