A joint operation led by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Costa Rican authorities over the weekend resulted in the seizure of more than 2.5 tons of narcotics off Costa Rica’s Pacific coast.

The Ministry of Public Security (MSP) said the mission began Saturday after the DEA alerted local officials about a suspicious Costa Rican flag “go-fast” boat traveling near Pavones Beach in Dulce Gulf, Puntarenas province.

Acting on the tip, Costa Rica’s Coast Guard intercepted the 32-foot vessel near shore. The three-man crew attempted to flee, steering the boat at high speed toward the beach.

They abandoned the craft and ran into the nearby brush. One suspect fell from the boat and died on the beach during the escape, authorities said.

Inside the vessel, officers discovered large sacks containing dozens of packages believed to be cocaine and marijuana. Officials later confirmed the haul amounted to 2.5 tons of cocaine and 132 kilograms of marijuana.

Police arrested one suspect, identified as an Ecuadorian national with the last name Cacierra. A third man managed to escape into the surrounding woods and remains at large.

The seized boat was towed to the Coast Guard station in Golfito, where Costa Rica’s Drug Control Police carried out a detailed inspection.

The detained suspect is being held under the jurisdiction of the Puntarenas Public Ministry, where prosecutors are seeking pretrial detention on international drug trafficking charges.

 

Authorities urged the public to report suspected trafficking activity through Costa Rica’s confidential 10-digit hotline at 800-8000-645 or its rapid-response line at 1176, which offers bilingual operators in English and Spanish.

The operation falls under the Joint Maritime Patrol Treaty between Costa Rica and the United States. Recently, the U.S. Coast Guard led a mission that seized more than 1.6 tons of cocaine and detained four trafficking suspects.

According to the U.S. Embassy, this marks the 17th joint anti-drug mission conducted with Costa Rica in 2025, resulting in the seizure of more than 20 tons of illegal drugs so far.

Costa Rica has recorded some of the highest narcotics seizure totals in Central America in recent years. MSP figures show nearly 32 tons of cocaine and 15 tons of marijuana were confiscated in 2024 alone. The country previously seized 72.7 metric tons in 2020 and 71.1 metric tons in 2021.

Since 2018, the U.S. State Department has allocated more than $269 million in bilateral and regional security assistance to Costa Rica. That support has included equipment, training, and technical expertise to strengthen law enforcement, combat organized crime, and improve the justice system’s ability to prosecute transnational criminals.

“The assistance enhances Costa Rica’s capacity to confront the growing threat of organized crime and narcotrafficking,” the U.S. Embassy said in a statement.

The MSP, Costa Rica’s internal security agency, oversees citizen safety, public order, and anti-crime initiatives.

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