By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

The police of the International Airport Daniel Oduber Quirós, in Liberia* in the province of Guanacaste, arrested a U.S. citizen, surnamed Singleton as a suspect of international drug trafficking.

According to the police report, the suspect arrived in the country, on a direct flight from Miami, Fl.

In a routine review, officers detected packages of candy and plastic containers with suspicious contents.

As part of the process in the case of drug trafficking suspects, the airport officials requested the support of specialists from the Air Surveillance Service.

According to Airport Police Chief Captain Otto-Arrieta, a K-9 dog that specializes in drug tracking detected marijuana hidden in the suspect's luggage.

"In the suspect's luggage there were 29.34 grams of marijuana in wraps and 17.92 grams of marijuana in jelly candies," said Arrieta.

Singleton was taken to the cells of the Public Ministry in Liberia, where he was interrogated by the judicial agents. He must wait until a judge orders the pre-trial measures against him.

On Monday there was another case of detention of a foreigner at Juan Santamaría International Airport in the province of Alajuela*.

In this case, a Peruvian man surnamed Hurtado-Regalado, 39 years old, boarded a direct flight from Lima, Peru and was arrested on suspicion of money laundering.

According to the police report, at the time the suspect entered the checkpoints, agents detected that the man had large amounts of cash in his pants pockets.

The police found cash in his pockets and also hidden in his luggage.

"The total amount of money seized was $22,804, €20 euros, and ¢1,000 colones, all in cash," said the police in its report.

When the suspect was interrogated about the origin of the money, he could not give a satisfactory explanation to the officers. The suspect had also not reported the money at the checkpoint.

Hurtado-Regalado was taken to the cells of the Public Ministry where he was interrogated by judicial agents. He must wait until a judge orders the pre-trial measures against him as a suspect of money laundry.

According to the authorities, law No. 8204 states that the control of narcotic drugs, the legitimization of capital (known as money laundering), or the financing of terrorism is punishable by a prison sentence of 8 to 20 years for whoever commits this type of infraction.

On August, as A.M. Costa Rica reported, the Drug Control Police confirmed that a 41-year-old U.S. citizen surnamed Bryan was arrested while entering the country at the Juan Santamaría International Airport* in Alajuela, on suspicion of international drug trafficking.


According to the police report, during a routine check officers found 1,056 grams of marijuana oil inside a jar, 50 units of electric cigarettes, 600 units of pipes for smoking and $9,169 in cash in the luggage, which apparently belongs to Bryan.

The suspect arrived from Los Angeles, California. When the luggage passed through the control bands in Costa Rica, the cargo was detected.

The suspect was taken to the cells of the Public Ministry where he was interrogated by the judicial agents. There a judge orders three months pre-trial measures against him.




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Could there be a procedural error, at airport checkpoints in Florida, that allowed the suspect to bring drugs to the country?  We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to: news@amcostarica.com

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