The Director General of the National Customs Authority, Soraya Valdivieso, held a meeting with Dr. Mansie Iyer and Eng. Charles Gunzel of the United States Department of Energy, with the main objective of advancing the monitoring of the Megaports Project. This project seeks to strengthen security in the country’s maritime terminals, implementing nuclear smuggling detection measures and ensuring compliance with international standards in key ports.

During the meeting, Director Valdivieso expressed her satisfaction with the collaboration and highlighted the importance of continuing security actions at maritime terminals. A key objective of the meeting was to coordinate an action plan that allows the National Customs Authority, with the support of US specialists, to promote the training of customs technicians, which will strengthen the capacity of personnel to detect illegal activities, such as nuclear smuggling.

In addition, a joint agenda was defined covering technical and training topics, with an emphasis on the transfer of knowledge and best practices. Experts from the Department of Energy offered their support to support Panama in this effort, ensuring access to experiences and knowledge on the control of nuclear smuggling, an area in which both Eng. Gunzel and Dr. Iyer have extensive experience.