Tuna Clipper Hits Pier During U.S. Defense Secretary's Visit to Naval Base

During U.S. Secretary of State Pete Hegseth's visit to a Panamanian naval base Tuesday, a local tuna clipper hit a moored Panamanian navy patrol boat at the pier at high speed.

Hegseth was on scene to inaugurate the newly-built Pier 3 of the Capitán de Fragata Noel Antonio Rodríguez Naval Base, just south of the PSA Rodman terminal in Balboa. Minutes after Hegseth's departure, the Panamanian-flagged tuna seiner Upar arrived, making way astern at a rapid clip. It struck the SENAN Panama patrol vessel P-208 alongside the pier, making contact but cushioned by fenders hung over the side. Video from the scene shows the crew of the patrol vessel abandoning ship onto the dock as a precautionary measure. Moments later, the tuna clipper's stern allided with the concrete pier structure.

Se registró un incidente en la inauguración del muelle 3 de la Base Naval Capitán de Fragata Noel Antonio Rodríguez del Servicio Nacional Aeronaval, donde un buque chocó contra el muelle.?
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Minutos antes, estuvo presente el secretario de Defensa de Estados Unidos, Pete Hegseth… pic.twitter.com/U2gq303jP2

— TVN Noticias (@tvnnoticias) April 8, 2025

Though the allision startled attendees and members of the press, video from the scene showed no apparent damage on the hull of the Upar, and no injuries were reported. Harbor tugs arrived swiftly and helped maneuver the tuna clipper away from the pier; both the P-208 and another nearby patrol boat started their engines and got under way from the base.

The cause of the incident is under investigation. Panama's government has not issued a statement on the extent of any damage to the patrol vessel or to the newly built pier.

P-208 is a Point-class Coast Guard cutter built by the J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp. in the 1960s. She was donated to the government of Panama after decommissioning, along with several other vessels in the class.

Upar is a 1977-built tuna seiner registered in Panama. Formerly named La Rosa Mistica, she is linked to a Venezuelan seafood company, and she has been previously accused of irregularities - including harassing American sport fishing operators off Costa Rica and operating within protected waters near the Galapagos Islands.