Panama Investigates Drug Fronts
A group of companies, in which six ringleaders of the Norte del Valle de Cali drug cartel appear as executives, are under investigation by Panamanian authorities after the arrest of a drug boss.

Panama´s First Anti-Drug Prosecutor carried out a raid on Wednesday in response to a judicial-assistance request from its Colombian counterpart after discovery of limited joint ventures founded between 1987 and 2002 by three local law firms.

According to the Public Ministry, the drug dealers were seemingly associated with Pablo Rayo Montano, who was arrested in Brazil a month ago, and the executives were appointed to maintain control of their illegal business.

Lorena Henao Montoya, widow of (dismantled) Cali Cartel leader Ivan Urdinola Grajales, is the secretary of the Industrias Agropecuarias El Eden Ltd. joint venture in Panama.

Henao Montoya was arrested in Colombia, together with 10 other members of the organization that was laundering money for them, according to local press sources.

One of the companies raided by the Panamanian Attorney General´s Office was Kutry Management Inc, which operates in a central area of Panama City, but as yet there have been no arrests in relation to this operation.