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Allegations and Controversy: Trump’s Panama Property and Criminal Networks

In the mid-2000s, Donald Trump’s business licensed its name to the Trump Ocean Club International Hotel and Tower in Panama City, Panama — a luxury hotel and condominium development that opened in 2011. It was the Trump Organization’s first major branded project in Latin America and later became the JW Marriott Panama after the Trump name was removed. 

Although the Trump Organization itself was not accused of directly committing trafficking or laundering crimes, a series of investigations and reporting raised concerns that the property became entangled with individuals linked to money laundering, trafficking, and other criminal activity:
1. Criminal Connections Through Brokers and Buyers
Investigations by **Global Witness, Reuters, NBC News, and other outlets found that some buyers and brokers associated with the Trump Ocean Club had histories involving serious criminal allegations, including money laundering and people-smuggling. 

For example, one agent heavily involved in selling units, Alexandre Ventura Nogueira, later faced charges of fraud and was linked by court and police records to individuals with criminal backgrounds, including a Ukrainian investor previously arrested for alleged people-smuggling and forgery. 
Another investor, David Murcia Guzmán, was later convicted in the United States of laundering funds from narcotics trafficking through various companies and real estate. 
2. Trafficking Allegations
There is no credible evidence that the Trump Organization or its executives knowingly facilitated or participated in sex trafficking or the trafficking of women at the Panama property. Major news outlets and investigative reports focused primarily on money laundering and links to individuals with checkered criminal records, not documented trafficking operations at the site itself. 

Panama as a country does face broader human trafficking challenges, including the trafficking of women and children for sexual exploitation and forced labor, particularly within its borders and as an international transit point. However, these issues are part of Panama’s wider crime landscape and not specifically connected to Trump’s hotel operations in reliable reporting. 
3. Due Diligence and Congressional Scrutiny
In response to the reports, U.S. lawmakers asked the Trump Organization what due diligence it carried out on investors and agents involved in the Panama project and whether the company reported any suspicious activity to authorities in Panama or the United States. 

The Trump Organization maintained that it did not have direct knowledge of wrongdoing and had no recollection of dealing closely with implicated brokers.
4. Outcome and Legacy
Trump’s company eventually lost its management role at the Panama property amid separate business disputes with local owners, and the Trump name was removed as the building was rebranded. 

No criminal charges were brought against the Trump Organization or Donald Trump in connection with trafficking or laundering at the Panama hotel. The public record from reputable news agencies and investigations does not substantiate claims that the Trump property was a deliberate hub for trafficking women, though it did highlight that some individuals connected to the project had troubling backgrounds and that Panama’s real estate market at the time lacked robust oversight. 

Summary
The controversy around Trump’s Panama property revolves largely around money laundering allegations and the presence of buyers or brokers with criminal histories. While Panama itself faces documented challenges with human trafficking, there is no verified account that Trump’s establishment in Panama operated as a trafficking site for women or that the Trump Organization was legally implicated in trafficking crimes. Allegations have instead focused on broader concerns about due diligence and indirect associations with individuals linked to illicit trades. �

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