A mystery with potential international ramifications is unfolding in Panama, where authorities discovered military equipment hidden inside a North Korean-flagged ship that originated in Cuba.
Cuba has long been at odds with the United States, and North Korea is banned by the United Nations from importing and exporting most weapons because of its nuclear ambitions. Suspicions were further raised when the ship's captain suffered an apparent heart attack, and then tried to commit suicide, Panama's president said.
These facts were sufficiently intriguing for President Ricardo Martinelli to travel to the port and examine the ship himself.
The president tweeted a photo of what he saw -- a green octagon-shaped tube with a cone at its end and another similar-looking piece of equipment behind it.
Is it a missile, a reporter asked?
"Maybe," Martinelli said. "I am not familiar with that, but it would be good if such things didn't pass through Panama, which is a country that loves peace and not war."
The president said he did not examine all of the containers, but assumes that there are similar weapons in the others, hidden under a cargo of brown sugar.
Authorities seized the vessel and the undeclared haul of weaponry in the Panamanian port of Manzanillo on Monday night.
Panama's security minister, Jose Raul Mulino, told CNN the ship had arrived from Cuba.
Panamanian authorities received intelligence the ship was carrying drugs, but the search turned up the military equipment instead.
Mulino added that the North Korean crew of 35 resisted arrest, and during the struggle with Panamanian authorities, the ship's captain attempted to commit suicide.
Panama will ask a United Nations technical support team to inspect the cargo to determine what type of weaponry it is.
"Honestly, this kind of military equipment can't go through the country while declaring that it is something else, especially hiding it as you can see here," Martinelli said. "We will continue to empty the entire ship to see what's in it and the relevant authorities will determine what exactly is on this ship."
U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen issued a statement, saying: “The fact that missile equipment was caught being shipped from Cuba to North Korea reaffirms the dangerous threats faced by our nation due to the nefarious activities by these two rogue regimes. This revelation confirms once again that Pyongyang must be re-designated on the State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST) list as it continues to cooperate with the Cuban regime, a designated SST country, in order to undermine U.S. interests.
This is a serious and alarming incident that reminds us that the North Korean regime continues to pursue its nuclear and ballistic programs, and will stop at nothing in that pursuit. It also illustrates that the Castro tyranny continues to aid and abet America’s enemies and continues to pose a national security threat to the United States as long as the Castro apparatchik holds control over the island.
I commend President Martinelli and his law enforcement officials in Panama for doing their due diligence and inspecting this ship carefully. This incident should serve as a wakeup call to the Administration, which over the past few months has been leading an apparent effort to normalize relations with Cuba, that it cannot continue to engage the Castro regime. I call on the Department of State to immediately cease its migration talks this week with the Cuban regime until it provides clear and coherent answers regarding this incident.”