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The two Liberator ships, worth $1.5 million, were donated in November 2018 by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). /  U.S. Embassy courtesy photo


Six-plus tons of cocaine seized by
two Liberator ships donated by the U.S.


By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

The U.S. Embassy reports that after four month of work the two Liberator ships, donated by the U.S. government to the National Coast Guard Service, they have seized more than 6 tons of cocaine.

The two Liberator ships, worth $1.5 million, were donated in November 2018 by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).

Christopher Harris, Director of the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs in Costa Rica, said, "Costa Rica is one of the most agile allies in the maritime zone of the region and for this reason the donation of these two intercepting boats is a reflection of the success of the National Coast Guard Service of Costa Rica and its excellent results."

The boats are 38 feet in length, with three 300 horsepower outboard engines, navigation and communications equipment, intercom system, towing capacity, radars, air conditioning, and hydraulic seats.

In other recent cases involving  the Coast Guard, as A.M. Costa Rica reported on March 18th, the U.S. Coast Guard helped to Costa Rican Coast Guard in the capture of three drug trafficking suspects.

An unregistered speedboat named ‘The Blessing,’ said the police report, carrying a crew of three “was intercepted at 6:20 am. The speedboat was 27 nautical miles, approximately 50 kilometers, from the coast of Limón*."

The police detained three crew of Colombian nationality surnamed Hernández, Avendaño, and Brown.

The police also confiscated the boat and the drug shipment of "600 packages with cocaine weighing approximately one kilogram each, in addition to 28 packages with marijuana weighing approximately 500 grams each."

Agents of the Judicial Investigation Organization transferred the three suspects to cells of the Public Ministry, where the judge sentenced to six months pre-trial jail as a precautionary measure against them.

Another operation of Costa Rican Coast Guard was on March 6, when an alert was sent from a U.S. ship to the national authorities regarding a speedboat near the coast of Golfito* and the border with Panama.

According to police, when the coastguard responded and approached the boat for a routine review, the suspects fled at high speed.




"The coastguard followed for a distance of 182 kilometers, from the coast in Golfito, near the maritime border with Panama, to Escondida Beach in Quepos in Puntarenas," said police report.

That required the cooperation of two boats and a maritime patrol plane. When the speedboat was being hit by the coastguard, the suspects threw 48 bags and several small packages into the sea in order to distract the police and escape.

The packages were found to contain 1,461 kilograms of cocaine. Also confiscated were 1,440,000 Colombian pesos (about $464), 14 fuel cannons, seven full and seven empty, plus two 250 hp. boat engines.

When the speedboat reached the shore of Escondida Beach, the police detained the crew of three men, all of the Colombian nationality, surnamed Castillo, Coarse, and Rentería. The speedboat, which had no identification or registration, was confiscated.

The three suspects were sentenced to six months of pre-trial jail as a precautionary measure.

Another case was registered on March 1st,  when the U.S. Coast Guard alerted the National Coast Guard Service about a speedboat that was traveling near Cape Mata Palo neat to Osa. When the officers detected the speedboat, it was 68 kilometers from the coast near Cape Mata Palo*.

The crew, realizing they were going to be detained, threw 49 packages into the ocean and tried to escape. The packages were collected and reviewed by the agents of the Drug Control Police, who confirmed they contained 1,230 kilograms of cocaine.

The drug was distributed in 1,200 rectangular packages, each one of a kilogram of cocaine, plus 60 packages of the shape of a shoe sole, each with a weight of 500 grams of the drug.

The police could not capture the speedboat crew but they did recover the cocaine and took it to the Public Ministry where it will be stored until its destruction can be authorized.


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What are your thought on the best way to interdict drug traffickers? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to: news@amcostarica.com

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