Panama City’s clean and modern two-line metro opened in 2014; while convenient for some trips, it doesn’t extend to a few key areas of the city, including Casco Viejo and the Amador Causeway.

Those now stranded in Panama include Hedayatullah Zazai, 34, a man who said he had served as an officer in the Afghan Army, working alongside U.S. Special Forces and American consultants.