Costa Rica Deports 3 Mexicans Sought In U.S. Drug Trafficking Case

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Published on Friday, October 16, 2026
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Costa Rican authorities deported three Mexican nationals wanted in the United States on federal drug trafficking charges, turning them over to U.S. federal agents Friday at Juan Santamaría International Airport in Alajuela Province, according to the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

The suspects, identified by the surnames Espinoza-Hernández, Campos-Barragan and Vidrio-López, were wanted under an international arrest warrant issued in 2025 by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Eastern District of Wisconsin, authorities said.

The three were arrested April 15, 2025, during a joint counternarcotics operation led by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Costa Rican authorities. The operation resulted in the seizure of more than 800 kilograms of cocaine.

The investigation began after DEA agents alerted Costa Rican officials to a suspicious yacht docked at Quepos Beach Port in Puntarenas Province. The vessel was registered in the United States and flew an American flag.

U.S. authorities provided the Costa Rican Coast Guard with information about the yacht, prompting an investigation into its cargo.

The yacht was towed to the Coast Guard station in Quepos, where Drug Control Police conducted a detailed inspection. Authorities discovered approximately 840 packages of cocaine, each weighing about 1 kilogram.

The suspects were held at the Immigration Apprehension Center in San José while authorities completed the process of transferring them to the United States. The process concluded Friday when they were handed over to U.S. federal agents.

The Judicial Investigation Organization, known as the OIJ, is urging the public to report suspected cases of individuals hiding in the country who are subject to an Interpol Red Notice.

Tips can be submitted confidentially by calling the 10-digit hotline at 800-8000-645 or the fast line at 11-76. Bilingual agents are available to assist callers in English and Spanish.

The case is among several involving foreign nationals deported from Costa Rica because of criminal records. This week, Costa Rica deported a Russian citizen identified by the surname Larguine, who was wanted in the United States on federal fraud-related charges.

Recently, Costa Rica, with assistance from the United States, carried out a large-scale deportation operation, removing 20 foreign nationals who had been convicted of crimes.

Early this month, Costa Rica extradited a Costa Rican man identified by the surname Morales-Araya and four foreign nationals to the United States to face drug trafficking charges.

Costa Rica recorded its first extraditions of citizens in March, when two men identified by the surnames Gamboa-Sánchez and López-Vega were sent to the United States on drug trafficking charges.

The recent extraditions follow a legal amendment that took effect in May 2025, allowing Costa Rica to extradite citizens by birth or naturalization to countries with which it maintains extradition treaties.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office directs criminal investigations and prosecutes criminal cases throughout Costa Rica.

The OIJ operates under the Supreme Court of Justice and is responsible for conducting criminal investigations nationwide. It also exercises police authority throughout the country.

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Have you heard of foreign citizens living in Costa Rica evading Red Notices? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com

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