The Pacific Swan, a ship carrying highly-radioactive cargo safely transits the Pedro Miguel locks of the Panama Canal, 20 kilometers from Panama City, Panama under cover of darkness early Monday morning, Jan. 17, 2000. The ship, carrying 44 tons of waste from a French nuclear plant to Japan, was accompanied by six security escort boats and police closed off surrounding canal access points. This is the first such ship to pass through the canal since it was turned over from the U.S. to Panama last month.Under pressure of various concerned groups, headed by the Washington D.C. based Nuclear Control Institute, the Panama Canal Authority significantly upgraded security measures since previous transits when Greenpeace protestors were able to sneak aboard the ship. (AP Photo/Tomas van Houtryve)