Costa Rica is one step closer to extraditing a third citizen to the United States to face drug trafficking and money laundering charges.

The Public Prosecutor's Office announced that it has received the final document required to complete the extradition of a man identified by the surname Bell-Fernández.

The document, submitted by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, is a plea agreement guaranteeing that Bell-Fernández would not face mandatory life imprisonment if convicted.

Once the agreement receives final approval, officials said all conditions negotiated between Costa Rica and the United States for the extradition will have been satisfied.

Under the agreement, Bell-Fernández would not be subject to a mandatory life sentence if found guilty. It also guarantees that any prison sentence imposed would not exceed 50 years, the maximum sentence allowed under Costa Rican law.

U.S. authorities must also ensure that any time Bell-Fernández has spent in pretrial detention in Costa Rica is credited toward any sentence imposed in the United States.

Authorities said the extradition could take place in the coming days. As part of the process, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will send a special aircraft to transport Bell-Fernández to the United States.

In June, the Criminal Sentencing Appeals Court approved Bell-Fernández's deferred extradition.

In November 2023, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Bell as part of a group of Costa Rican nationals accused of involvement in narcotics trafficking and money laundering.

According to OFAC, Bell-Fernández is one of the most prolific drug traffickers in Limón province and is allegedly responsible for moving large quantities of cocaine. The agency also described him as one of the most violent traffickers operating in the region.

Costa Rican authorities arrested Bell-Fernández in 2015 and again in October 2024 on drug-related charges.

Authorities have also seized property linked to him during multiple operations, including several boats allegedly used for drug transshipment that were confiscated in February 2023.

Bell-Fernández will remain in custody at the Jorge Arturo Montero Penitentiary Center, commonly known as La Reforma, in Alajuela Province, until the extradition process is completed, authorities said.

In March 2026, Costa Rica extradited two citizens identified by the surnames López-Vega and Gamboa-Sánchez to the United States on drug trafficking charges, marking the first time the country sent its own nationals abroad to face criminal prosecution.

Those cases followed a legal amendment that took effect in May 2025, allowing the extradition of Costa Rican citizens, whether by birth or naturalization, to countries with which Costa Rica maintains extradition treaties.

Costa Rica's Supreme Court is the country's highest judicial authority and serves as the court of final appeal in legal and constitutional matters.

The Costa Rican Public Prosecutor's Office is responsible for directing criminal investigations and prosecuting criminal cases throughout the country.

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