French Fugitive Joël Soudron Arrested in Panama After Years on the Run

Overview

• Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau confirmed the arrest in Panama and said an extradition request is underway, after Panamanian police posted video of the detention.
• Police in Panama said an identity check found a temporary residence permit with false information, and further verification confirmed the man was Joël Soudron.
• Soudron is scheduled to appear in a Paris court on June 11, 2026 on charges that include cocaine importation, money laundering, weapons possession, and criminal conspiracy alongside eight co-defendants.
• Investigations by OFAST, France’s anti-narcotics office, and the Paris JIRS linked him to container shipments that yielded a 231 kg cocaine seizure at Le Havre in 2011 and a Guadeloupe raid that found 272 kg of cocaine and €284,930.
• He escaped from Réau prison in 2018 during a temporary leave and was later placed on an Interpol Red Notice and featured in Europol’s Most Wanted campaign.