Authorities arrested about 30 people Tuesday in a large-scale anti-drug operation aimed at dismantling an international criminal group known as the South Caribbean Cartel, based in southern Limón province, the Public Prosecutor’s Office said.

Prosecutors said two brothers led the gang with the last name Picado-Grijalba. The elder brother, 43, a Nicaraguan national living in Costa Rica and known by the nickname “Shock,” is being held in London. He was detained under an international arrest warrant issued by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for extradition to the United States on drug trafficking charges.

His younger brother, 32, was arrested in Costa Rica in August at the request of the DEA. Both men are being extradited to the United States, where they face charges filed by the Department of Justice in Dallas, Texas.

The Specialized Organized Crime Prosecutor’s Office led the operation, which deployed roughly 1,200 officers, including agents from the Judicial Investigation Organization (OIJ), the Public Security Ministry (MSP), and municipal police departments in Limón, Alajuela, San José, and Puntarenas.

“This is the largest criminal case in the country’s history,” OIJ Director Michael Soto said.

Authorities executed search warrants at about 65 homes and offices tied to the suspects across the four provinces. About 30 people were detained on suspicion of belonging to an international network involved in drug trafficking, homicide, and money laundering.

Among those arrested was a woman identified as McDonald-Rodríguez, a former board member of the National Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture (Incopesca) who currently works as an attorney for the Picado-Grijalba brothers.

Investigators seized cellphones, computers, more than $200,000 in cash, 10 vehicles (two with hidden compartments used to transport drugs), along with 20 outboard motors, five boats, and several firearms.

“This operation targets the middle and lower ranks of the criminal network led by the Picado brothers,” Attorney General Carlo Díaz said. “It’s also the result of close cooperation with the DEA, which made it possible to capture the leaders and reach their relatives and other branches of the organization responsible for its operations.”

Authorities believe that since 2019, the South Caribbean Cartel has been involved in international drug and arms trafficking, as well as money laundering. The group allegedly imported cocaine and marijuana from several South American countries, distributing part of the drugs locally and exporting the rest to North America.

Since 2022, Costa Rican authorities have seized more than 5 metric tons of cocaine, 4 metric tons of marijuana, 59 vehicles worth an estimated $1.2 million, and about 70 illegal firearms. The suspects are also listed as owners of 51 properties with a combined tax value exceeding $4 million.

As part of Costa Rica’s extradition treaty with the United States, authorities recently deported another Nicaraguan man wanted on charges of child sexual abuse and rape after 21 years on the run.

In related news, the San José Criminal Court has approved the extradition of three Costa Rican citizens to the United States, the first time in the country’s history that nationals will be extradited.

The ruling follows a legal reform that took effect in May 2025, allowing Costa Rican citizens, by birth or naturalization, to be extradited to countries with which Costa Rica has signed treaties.

The OIJ is urging the public to report individuals subject to international Red Notices. Confidential tips can be submitted by calling the 10-digit hotline 800-8000-645 or the quick line 11-76. Bilingual agents are available in English and Spanish.

The MPS is the government organization responsible for maintaining public order, training police units, and coordinating national anti-crime efforts.

The OIJ, a division of the Supreme Court of Justice, is responsible for conducting criminal investigations and holds nationwide police authority.