AMCostaRica©
AMCostaRica©
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The U.S.
officials managed to stop a ship,
named Mahi Mahi, which was sailing
130 nautical miles off Mata Palo
Beach in the Osa Peninsula /
Minister of Security courtesy photo.
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-Published:
Wednesday,
October 2, 2019-
U.S.
Coast Guard help in the capture
of Costa Ricans suspected of
international drug trafficking
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The U.S. Coast Guard Tuesday
helped the officers of the Drug
Control Police of Costa Rica in
the arrest of three Costa Ricans
who were sailing with at cargo
reported to be cocaine.
According to the police report,
the U.S. officials managed to stop
a ship, named Mahi Mahi, which was
sailing 130 nautical miles off Mata Palo Beach*
in the Osa Peninsula in the
Province of Puntarenas.
The ship was manned by three Costa
Ricans, surnamed
Centeno-Hernández, 56,
Medina-Azofeifa, 27. and
Cabrera-Granda, 44, a police
report said.
According to the police report,
the youngest of the suspects,
Medina-Azofeifa has a criminal
record for two homicides and
breach of protection measures
imposed to protect another person.
The U.S. officers also managed to
tow the ship to the port of Golfito* in the
southern zone of the country.
After the police officers in Costa
Rica received the ship and the
suspects were detained, officers
proceeded with the search of the ship
where they found 660 packages of
approximately one kilogram of apparent
cocaine, said the police in a report.
Both the ship and the cargo of
apparent cocaine were seized as
evidence against the suspects.
The three men were taken to the cells
of the Public Ministry in Puntarenas,
where they were interrogated by the
judicial agents and awaiting a judge;s
decision one pre-trial measures.
This is the second time in two months
that U.S. authorities have helped
Costa Rican police in the fight
against drug trafficking.
On August 13th, the Public Security
Minister Michael Soto announced the
collaboration of the U. S. Coast
Guard, by sharing an alert about a
boat sailing near the coast of Golfito*.
"Thanks to the teamwork developed
between the United States government
and the Public Security police," the
Ministry said in its statement. "U.S.
authorities were the ones who alerted
their Costa Rican counterparts."
According to the police report, the
Coast Guard found a boat near Colibri Beach*
in Golfito. "A boat and two engines of
300 hp each, which were confiscated,"
said the police in their report.
A pit was also found near the area
"where a cargo of cocaine was hidden,"
the police said in their report.
The drugs found were inside nine bags
that were hidden in the pit. The
agents of the Drug Control Police
reported "there were 194 packages with
cocaine inside the cargo that was
seized," said the police in their
report.
The agents of the Judicial
Investigation Organization, call on
the population to report any suspicion
of drug sales or trafficking to the
confidential line 800-8000-645, where
there are bilinguals agents who can
answer calls in English or Spanish.
--------------------------
What else could the Ministry of Security
do in the fight against drug trafficking?
We would like to know your thoughts on
this story. Send your comments to: news@amcostarica.com
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