A U.S. Southern Command donation of four Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats, held at the Vasco Núñez de Balboa Naval Base headquarters in Panama City, Panama, will enhance surveillance operations in the region. The boats, valued at $1.5 million, were funded under the Section 333 Authority to Build Capacity managed by DSCA. Section 333 programs support initiatives that offer targeted training and essential equipment to the national security forces of U.S. allies and partner nations, building their capacity.
The boats improve Panama's river- and harbor-based surveillance capacity and bolster the security of the Panama Canal. The January 22nd donation continues the United States' expanded security cooperation with Panama and directly enhances the Ministry of Security's capacity to protect critical infrastructure and combat transnational criminal organizations.
The donation "strengthens our expanded bilateral security cooperation and supports joint efforts to protect the Panama Canal, secure its approaches, disrupt narcotics trafficking networks, and advance regional stability," said U.S. Ambassador to Panama Kevin Marino.
This donation reinforces the two nations' joint resolve to advance regional security and combat narcotrafficking.