Published on Tuesday, June 9, 2026
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Costa Rican authorities on Tuesday deported a 35-year-old Canadian citizen identified by the surname Bou-Saleh, who was wanted by Canadian authorities on drug and arms trafficking charges, according to the Judicial Investigation Organization (OIJ).

The suspect was handed over to Canadian agents at 1 p.m. at Juan Santamaría International Airport in Alajuela Province. The transfer was coordinated by Interpol and the OIJ.

According to the OIJ, Canada's Department of Justice issued an international arrest warrant for Bou-Saleh in 2024 in connection with alleged drug and firearms trafficking offenses.

Bou-Saleh was arrested in January by OIJ agents working alongside Interpol after he was located in a public area near his residence in the Villarreal District, near Tamarindo Beach in Guanacaste Province.

Authorities said the arrest followed the issuance of an Interpol Red Notice seeking his immediate apprehension and extradition to Canada.

Officials said Bou-Saleh had been living in Costa Rica with his girlfriend and children. Investigators reported that he relocated to Costa Rica in 2024 after Canadian authorities linked him to a criminal organization operating in Lake Country, Okanagan, British Columbia. The organization is accused of trafficking drugs and firearms.

Canadian authorities conducted several raids between January and March 2023, investigators said, seizing drugs, cash and firearms allegedly connected to the criminal group linked to Bou-Saleh.

Following his arrest in Costa Rica, Bou-Saleh was transferred to the Migration Apprehension Center in San José, where he remained under standard security procedures until his deportation was completed Tuesday.

Authorities declined to release additional details about the investigation, citing confidentiality rules. They said only the suspect's family members are authorized to request further information.

The OIJ urged the public to report individuals suspected of hiding in Costa Rica while subject to an Interpol Red Notice. Tips can be submitted confidentially through the agency's 10-digit hotline at 800-8000-645 or the fast line at 11-76, where bilingual agents are available in English and Spanish.

The deportation is one of several recent cases involving foreign nationals wanted abroad. In December 2025, Costa Rican authorities deported a 38-year-old Canadian citizen identified by the surname Conneh, who was wanted by U.S. authorities.

In a separate case last week, a 42-year-old Canadian citizen identified by the surname Olstand was arrested in Guanacaste Province on suspicion of labor exploitation.

The OIJ, which operates under Costa Rica's Supreme Court of Justice, is responsible for conducting criminal investigations nationwide and exercises police authority throughout the country.

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