Costa Rican authorities have deported a Colombian citizen identified by the surname Céspedes, who is wanted in the United States on federal charges related to international drug trafficking, according to the Public Prosecutor's Office.

On Thursday, Céspedes was transferred to U.S. federal agents at Juan Santamaría International Airport in Alajuela Province.

The operation was coordinated by the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) and Costa Rica's Judicial Investigation Organization (OIJ).

According to the Prosecutor's Office, the U.S. Department of Justice requested an Interpol Red Notice following an indictment issued by the Federal Grand Juries in the U.S. State of Texas.

U.S. authorities allege that Céspedes served in a leadership and coordination role within the Clan del Golfo, an international drug trafficking organization that has operated throughout Colombia, Central America and North America since at least 2008.


Céspedes had been serving a nine-year prison sentence in Costa Rica after being convicted of drug possession, storage and transportation offenses.


The deportation resulted from coordinated efforts involving the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Public Prosecutor's Office and the OIJ under an international judicial cooperation treaty.

After Costa Rica completed the legal procedure required under its laws, authorities temporarily transferred Céspedes to U.S. custody to face the pending criminal charges.


Under this legal mechanism, Céspedes will stand trial in the United States. Once the U.S. judicial process is completed, American authorities are expected to return him to Costa Rica to serve the remainder of his prison sentence.


"Costa Rica reaffirms its commitment to international legal cooperation as a fundamental tool in combating transnational organized crime," the Public Prosecutor's Office said in a statement. "Ongoing coordination with authorities in other countries strengthens criminal prosecution, prevents impunity, and contributes to jointly confronting criminal structures that operate beyond national borders."

The OIJ urged the public to report individuals believed to be hiding in Costa Rica while subject to an Interpol Red Notice. Tips may be submitted confidentially through the agency's 10-digit hotline at 800-8000-645 or its quick-response 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 by authorities in other countries. In June, Costa Rican authorities deported a Nicaraguan citizen identified by the surname Morales-Obando, who was wanted in the U.S. on charges related to passport fraud and counterfeiting.

The Costa Rican Public Prosecutor's Office (Ministerio Público) is the judicial body responsible for directing criminal investigations and prosecuting criminal cases throughout the country.

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