The Mexica empire reached Panama

"The explanation of how the Aztecs happened to have travelled so far from their homes is contained in a description of Costa Rica written in 1572 by Juan de Estrada Ravago. After picturing the wealth of the country in gold, he states that the great King Montezuma sent his armies more than six hundred leagues to collect tribute consisting of many and very fine pieces of gold.

'I have seen,' Estrada adds, 'the remnants of his soldiers and armies, who are called Nahuatatos.'

This picture is further amplified by a statement of Yñigo Aranza, governor of Veraguas in 1595. 'There are in the land called Duy,' he says, 'more than six thousand Indian warriors, and it is reported that they have traffic with the Indians from Mexico who remained there when word reached them of the first entrance of the Spaniards, they having gone there for the tribute of gold which that province used to give to Montezuma.'"


Lothrop, Samuel K. "The Sigua: Southernmost Aztec Outpost." In Proceedings of the Eighth American Scientific Congress, vol. 2, 109–116. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of State, 1942.​

https://antharky.ucalgary.ca/caadb/sites/antharky.ucalgary.ca.caadb/files/Lothrop_1942_The_Sigua_Southernmost_Aztec_Outpost.pdf

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