Costa Rica Investigates Boat Wreck Assisted By U.S. Coast Guard

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Published on Monday, March 23, 2026.
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Authorities in Costa Rica are investigating the sinking of a boat off the country’s Pacific coast that left two men dead and a third hospitalized in critical condition, officials said Monday.

The Judicial Investigation Organization (OIJ) said it has launched an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

“We have been gathering all possible information to determine the circumstances of the incident and the causes of death of the two crew members,” said Vladimir Muñoz, deputy director of the OIJ.

The case came to light on Friday at 8:35 a.m., when the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) issued an alert under the Joint Maritime Patrol Treaty between Costa Rica and the United States. The alert reported a sunken vessel approximately 126 nautical miles from Matapalo Cape, in southern Puntarenas province.

According to authorities, a USCG vessel spotted three men floating in the water and carried out a rescue operation. Two of the men were found dead, while the third survived the shipwreck.

U.S. officials coordinated the transfer of the individuals to Costa Rican authorities. Costa Rica’s National Coast Guard Service worked with the Red Cross to evacuate the survivor and coordinated with the OIJ to receive the bodies of the deceased.

Forensic agents transported the victims to the morgue at the Forensic Sciences Complex in Heredia. Authorities said the bodies showed burns across their entire surface. However, officials noted that more detailed forensic examinations will be required to determine the exact cause of death.

The surviving crew member was taken in critical condition to Manuel Mora Valverde Public Hospital in Golfito, where he remains under medical care.

Authorities said the identities of the deceased and the hospitalized man have not yet been determined.

Joint maritime operations between Costa Rica and the United States have led to multiple collaborations, particularly in efforts to combat drug trafficking.

In a recent case, Costa Rica extradited two of its citizens to the United States on drug trafficking charges, marking the first time the country has sent nationals abroad to face criminal prosecution. The men, identified by the surnames Gamboa-Sánchez and López-Vega, were handed over to U.S. marshals on Friday.

In another example of bilateral cooperation, the U.S. recently donated two mobile scanners to Costa Rica to strengthen security at major border crossings and enhance efforts against drug trafficking and transnational organized crime.

Separately, Costa Rican authorities, working with Interpol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, arrested a 64-year-old U.S. citizen last week, identified by the surname Patterson, who is wanted on fraud charges.

Costa Rica recently joined a U.S. agreement aimed at strengthening regional efforts to combat criminal cartels and organized crime in the Western Hemisphere during the Shield of the Americas Summit.

Earlier this month, U.S. authorities recognized Costa Rica’s commitment to combating drug trafficking following the success of Operation Blue Marlin.

Since 2018, the U.S. State Department has provided more than $269 million in bilateral and regional security assistance to Costa Rica. The funding supports equipment purchases, training programs and technical expertise designed to strengthen law enforcement, combat organized crime and improve the justice system’s ability to prosecute transnational criminal groups.

The Judicial Investigation Organization (OIJ), which operates under Costa Rica’s Supreme Court of Justice, is responsible for conducting criminal investigations nationwide and holds police authority throughout the country.

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What additional support should the United States provide to Costa Rica to strengthen efforts against drug trafficking? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com