Panamanian Delegation Visits the New York Field Division

SAC Gilbride welcomes Panamanian Drug Prosecutor Jose Almengor, Supreme Court Magistrate Esmeralda Arosemena de Troitino, Director of the Office of National Security and Public Defense Eric Espinosa, Operations Chief of the Office of National Security and Public Defense Javier Fletcher, Supreme Court Magistrate Anibal R. Salas and Police Advisor Emmanuel Landau to the DEA New York Field Division.

OCT 2 -- On September 27 and 28, 2007 a delegation of Panamanian prosecutors, magistrates and police visited the New York Field Division. Those dignitaries included, Drug Prosecutor Jose Almengor, Supreme Court Magistrate Esmeralda Arosemena de Troitino, Director of the Office of National Security and Public Defense Eric Espinosa, Operations Chief of the Office of National Security and Public Defense Javier Fletcher, Supreme Court Magistrate Anibal R. Salas, Police Advisor Emmanuel Landau.

The delegation was given briefings on DEA’s working relationship with the Special Narcotics Prosecutors Office of New York and the United States Attorney’s Office Southern District of New York. In addition, they were provided a tour of the New York Field Division and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Strike Force.

Highlights of their visit included a tour of the Empire State Building, attending a METS baseball game at Shea Stadium and a dinner at the Friar’s Club hosted by the Federal Drug Agent Foundation.

DEA Special Agent in Charge John Gilbride stated, “The DEA is very pleased with our international cooperation in combating drug trafficking across borders. This visit by our Panamanian counterparts represents that we have made great strides to identify and ultimate arrest those drug trafficking networks from the highest levels down to the dealers who peddle narcotics on our streets."