CIS analyst Todd Bensman traveled August 6-18 for field research on the Colombia and Panama sides of the notorious Darien Gap immigration passageway, through which more than 1.5 million foreign nationals have reached the U.S. southern border over the past three-plus years. On this page, you can find Bensman's video, photos and reports from his research as they publish and afterward.
Bensman's purpose for traveling first to Colombia's immigrant staging towns and then to Panama's camps and impacted villages is to assess the impacts of a new Panama plan to "close" the passageway - supposedly with pledged U.S. help.
On the Colombia side of the gap, Bensman visited the towns of Turbo, Nicocli, Acandi, and Capurgana - all staging towns where trailheads lead immigrants into Panama. On the Panama side, Bensman spent time in Panama City, then traveled to the Darien Province where he visited three camps where immigrants exit or pass through in buses: Metete, Lajas Blanca, and Boco Chiquito.
Read Bensman's reporting from the Darien Gap:
CIS Exclusive: Panama Border Security Chief Says Many U.S.-Bound Terror Suspects Caught in Darien Gap Region
New York Post Op-ed: Biden-Harris open border is destroying an indigenous tribe’s land and way of life
New York Post Op-ed: Biden/Harris made empty promises to stop migrants in Panama — but the flood continues
Follow-up Reporting:
EXCLUSIVE: New information about additional terrorism suspects interrupted on their way to the American border comes by way of an exclusive CIS interview with the chief of Panama’s National Border Service, Director General Jorge Gabea.https://t.co/yex5aYhp4C
— Center for Immigration Studies (@CIS_org) August 29, 2024
The Embera-Wounnaan tribe has been trampled, whose 19,000 people are living smack in the middle of Darien Gap migration highway.
All five chiefs of the reservation told @BensmanTodd that mass migration has driven their culture and traditional ways of life to the brink of ruin… pic.twitter.com/TooMx9EP2M— Center for Immigration Studies (@CIS_org) August 27, 2024
BREAKING @CIS_org exclusive: All the @AP etc exuberence that Biden/Harris is now helping Panama air-deport illegal aliens from the Darien Gap is irrational. Last week, SENAFRONT’s top leader told me Panama has been shipping one flight a week of criminal aliens they catch back to… pic.twitter.com/OeJIjJ4z0u
— Todd Bensman (@BensmanTodd) August 22, 2024
After two weeks of field research in the notorious Darien Gap mass migration passage, one each on the Colombia and Panama sides, I’m am headed home to Texas. Stay tuned for my reports over the next couple weeks. pic.twitter.com/3tGfJcfVW2
— Todd Bensman (@BensmanTodd) August 18, 2024
August 16, 2024
Todd Bensman reports from Bajo Chiquito, Panama.
Motoring UP the Chucunaque River to the Darien Gap exit hub of Boco Chiquito in Panama’s Embera tribal territory, I counted 27 full pirangas moving US-bound border-jumpers DOWN to gov processing and buses. Each boat holds a dozen or more, looks like this in slow-mo pic.twitter.com/OBO2C8EUdR
— Todd Bensman (@BensmanTodd) August 17, 2024
Bajo Chiquito, a village in Embera tribal territory (Panama), has transformed into a central transportation hub for immigrants exiting the Darien Gap and soon enough to board buses out toward the US border. Here’s what that looks like from my drone and in the village pic.twitter.com/TZDQn9sGeP
— Todd Bensman (@BensmanTodd) August 17, 2024
August 15, 2024
Todd Bensman reports from Lajas Blancas in Darien Province, Panama.
Here at the Panama gov’s Lajas Blanca migrant camp, yet another clot of UN and nonprofit orgs aid and abet America’s mass migration crisis. Earlier they complained to police that I filmed them, so I returned and shot this for grins - and education, of course. pic.twitter.com/z6pbd5CGOq
— Todd Bensman (@BensmanTodd) August 15, 2024
It all boils down to BUS in Panama; this country makes sure all the immigrants coming out of the Darien Gap get quick access to buses that take them straight to Costa Rica, then to the Nicaragua border. I got on one in Lajas Blancas migrant camp to show you pic.twitter.com/QfLLWyNuQj
— Todd Bensman (@BensmanTodd) August 15, 2024
From all over the world they cross the Colombia-Panama “Darien Gap” to America’s southern border because Biden/Harris admits almost 100 percent for the 1st time in world history, so why not? Here are Sikhs, Togolese, and Hindis I met among many other nationalities. pic.twitter.com/86eQ1CxfFT
— Todd Bensman (@BensmanTodd) August 16, 2024
Here’s what happening on the Panamanian side of the Darien Gap in one of several official government receiving camps. This one is called LaJas Blanca in Darien Province. Traffic down but there’s still plentiful. pic.twitter.com/GKsORMFalN
— Todd Bensman (@BensmanTodd) August 15, 2024
At Panama’s Lajas Blanca migrant camp in Darien Province, government food for foreign border jumpers prevents malnutrition prevalent elsewhere. Panama’s own suffer 16 percent “undernutrition” and 19 percent delayed growth for kids under 5. Life’s great here for foreigners tho pic.twitter.com/JBY321ybhe
— Todd Bensman (@BensmanTodd) August 15, 2024
August 13, 2024
Todd Bensman reports from Panama City, Panama.
Panama wants to dramatically increase air expulsions of Venezuelans back to Colombia to “change their mindset” so that fewer will want to make the dangerous trek.
But a Panamanian official said his country can’t afford to go it alone much longer.https://t.co/nzlwzKFHBt pic.twitter.com/eOVBZw3AYQ— Center for Immigration Studies (@CIS_org) August 15, 2024
The Latin America hub for the UN and constellation of nonprofits that have facilitated the worst mass migration crisis in inUS history, in Panama City’s so-called “City of Knowledge.” US taxpayers pay them all to support the movement of millions of illegal US border jumpers: pic.twitter.com/aTiY4blqfZ
— Todd Bensman (@BensmanTodd) August 13, 2024
A cocaine submarine captured in 2022 by Panama’s inimitable National Border Service, or SENAFRONT, on proud display at Panama City headquarters, where I interviewed the agency’s top commander today. The dope was worth $5 million and came out of neighboring Colombia. pic.twitter.com/rj2D9K4LnZ
— Todd Bensman (@BensmanTodd) August 14, 2024
August 10 and 11, 2024
Todd Bensman reports from south of the Darien Gap in Capargana, Colombia.
Darien Gap Illegal immigrant flow is combination Olympic water sport and supply chain management on Colombia’s Uraba Gulf. First, mafia move camping gear drybags to staging areas, each ID-tagged, then later their owners for the match-ups. An impressive ground game from my drone. pic.twitter.com/f507tZVBpu
— Todd Bensman (@BensmanTodd) August 12, 2024
Darien Gap-bound immigrants disembark at the tiny jungle vacation town of Capargana, Colombia off the Gulf of Uraba… The trails go out from behind town and at different areas up and down this coastline pic.twitter.com/sJkatpiv32
— Todd Bensman (@BensmanTodd) August 11, 2024
As we all well know now, Biden/Harris cut a deal for Mexico to suppress illegal immigrant flow for election optics, until Nov. 5. Far down trail in Colombia, the moneyed ones tell why they’re undeterred and how they intend to handle: simply paying the “mafia” pic.twitter.com/xdIDroce1m
— Todd Bensman (@BensmanTodd) August 12, 2024
If you hand out gift cards to intending shoplifters, your store’s bad theft stats improve, sure. That was the scheme behind the Biden/Harris immigrant flights program, just canceled for fraud. Cancel the gift card scheme and the bad stats return as this Haitian in Colombia proves pic.twitter.com/fRoad50vd6
— Todd Bensman (@BensmanTodd) August 12, 2024
August 9, 2024
Todd Bensman reports from south of the Darien Gap in Acandi, Colombia.
So officially embraced is the mass migration traffic thru nearby Darien Gap that Necocli city, Colombia collects a tax at the port from every backpack-toting obvious immigrant heading to the trailheads across Uraba Gulf. It’s $1.25 but adds up to Huge Bonanza round these parts! pic.twitter.com/CwyIvD6Deb
— Todd Bensman (@BensmanTodd) August 11, 2024
Here in Necocle, Colombia everyone embraces mass intent to illegally cross the next half dozen national borders. The ferry company sells tickets. Gangsters collect 300 a head. A city tax lady collects from each. Migration checks papers, and off they all go to America like this! pic.twitter.com/wg6jVHn9Yx
— Todd Bensman (@BensmanTodd) August 9, 2024
The multinational smorgasbord of immigrants still moving through the supposedly closing Darien Gap included these two Chinese dudes I met today in Necocle, Colombia. UN lady there said they were loaded with USDs and refused to chat w/anyone. (translate app). Me three. Typical pic.twitter.com/Fq9VVJr2uk
— Todd Bensman (@BensmanTodd) August 9, 2024
Like many unsure if Panama is really closing the Darien Gap, this Cameroonian in the staging town of Necocli, Colombia said he’s betting he’ll get through, then hauled ass up the gangway to board the vessel over the Gulf of Urabe to the trailheads into Panama. Check it out: pic.twitter.com/figmaxbbRZ
— Todd Bensman (@BensmanTodd) August 9, 2024
Condoms, probably prep for all the raping that goes on in the Darien Gap, sit next to the flashlights and camping stoves up for sale all over Colombian jump-off staging towns along the Gulf of Uraba. Entrepreneurs meet the glamping needs of a huuuge customer base they know well. pic.twitter.com/vcRmOgLZfc
— Todd Bensman (@BensmanTodd) August 9, 2024
August 8, 2024
Todd Bensman reports from south of the Darien Gap in Acandi, Colombia.
What it’s like to make the two-hour panga boat ride route across the Gulf of Urabe from Turbo to Acondi town trail heads, taken by a million US border crossers who got there through the Darien Gap pic.twitter.com/heNO4SpAiG
— Todd Bensman (@BensmanTodd) August 9, 2024
The quick down and dirty on Panamanian President Mulino’s first steps to “close” the infamous Darien Gap migration passage - and further ease US southern border traffic. From Acandi, Colombia - a primary trailhead town… pic.twitter.com/aYhHFpSvLY
— Todd Bensman (@BensmanTodd) August 8, 2024
In Acandi, Colombia - a trailhead town springboarding US-bound immigrants into the Darien Gap - they’re coming in greatly diminished numbers due to Panamanian President Mulino’s dramatic new “close-the-gap” policies. This will translate into political points for Kamala Harris. pic.twitter.com/xPKMgjLy2P
— Todd Bensman (@BensmanTodd) August 8, 2024
August 7, 2024
Todd Bensman reports from south of the Darien Gap in Turbo, Colombia.
A US-bound Venezuelan in Turbo, Colombia goes shy when I asked about the smugglers and smuggling he’ll use to get through the nearby Darien Gap, testement to their intimidating authority around here, many of them Mexican cartel associated pic.twitter.com/Hzvfq7Nhn1
— Todd Bensman (@BensmanTodd) August 9, 2024
HIAS, the illegal immigration help behomoth nongovernmental organization, was well represented at the boat station in Turbo, Colombia, giving aiding nudges to Darien Gap immigrant travelers. Other NGOs on deck in Turbo and in Acandia too on US taxpayer grant money. pic.twitter.com/rGN0lnycoP
— Todd Bensman (@BensmanTodd) August 9, 2024
“A wave is coming!” So say Venezuelans just arriving in the Darien Gap springboard town of Turbo, Colombia on the Gulf of Urabá. All claim to have just fled the latest home political spasm and heading to the US to claim asylum on it. 1st wave? pic.twitter.com/KMwJuOPmgY
— Todd Bensman (@BensmanTodd) August 8, 2024
In Turbo,Colombia - a springboard to the Darien Gap immigrant passage into Panama - a crowd of Venezuelans on their way through to the US claiming they just fled the election violence swarmed me. Yeh, but I spect some will claim it even tho they left long before any violence. pic.twitter.com/cxubXutOYg
— Todd Bensman (@BensmanTodd) August 8, 2024
The Mexican Sinaloa Cartel, I’m told by many, is active in at least the drug trade waaaay down here in Colombia in the Darien Gap staging zones. This Venezuelan migrant bought himself a cool hat in a local store. pic.twitter.com/XRJwMxIneL
— Todd Bensman (@BensmanTodd) August 9, 2024