Panama Reports 99% Drop in US-Bound Migrants Crossing Darién Gap
Panama has reported a nearly 99 percent decline in the number of US-bound migrants passing through the Darién Gap, a well-known jungle route commonly used by those traveling from South America to the United States.
According to Panama’s Migrant Authority, only 408 migrants traveled through the route in February 2025, marking a 98.8 percent drop from the 37,166 recorded in February 2024. The majority of these migrants were from Venezuela, with smaller numbers from Cameroon, Bangladesh, Colombia, Iran, and other countries across Latin America, Africa, and Asia.
The Darién Gap has long been a major crossing point for migrants, as it is the only land bridge connecting South America to Central America. In 2023, Panama documented more than half a million migrants traversing the route, more than twice the number recorded in 2022. Many of these migrants were Venezuelans fleeing the regime of socialist President Nicolás Maduro.
However, the February 2025 figure is the lowest number of migrants recorded in the region since 2020, when COVID-19 travel restrictions significantly reduced movement. Panama also indicated there were no Chinese nationals among the documented migrants in February. This marks a sharp decline from January 2024, when nearly 3,000 Chinese nationals were recorded using the route, a report by Breitbart noted.
The drop in migrant crossings has been attributed to several factors, including Panama’s crackdown on “VIP” route providers, which had primarily catered to Chinese migrants seeking a “safer” and faster journey through the jungle. Additionally, the decline in crossings comes as President Donald Trump’s administration has reinforced security along the US southern border, likely deterring would-be migrants. Reports have also indicated a growing trend of “reverse migration,” with increasing numbers of migrants leaving Costa Rica and entering Panama after failing to gain entry into the US.
