A Chinese-born individual identified by the surname Zhang-Guobin was arrested Friday in Costa Rica following an investigation led by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Internal Revenue Service, in coordination with Costa Rican authorities.

According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, Zhang-Guobin, who holds Costa Rican citizenship through naturalization, was arrested by agents of the Special Support Unit (UEA) in a public area in the canton of Curridabat, San José.

“U.S. authorities want the suspect due to his alleged involvement in crimes related to drug trafficking,” the Public Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement. “According to information from the DEA, he is allegedly linked to criminal organizations in Mexico, including the Sinaloa Cartel and the Gulf Clan.”

The Sinaloa Cartel is described as a large and powerful transnational organized crime syndicate involved in drug trafficking and based in Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico.

The Gulf Clan, or “Clan del Golfo,” is a prominent Colombian neo-paramilitary group and is currently described as the country’s largest drug cartel.

Zhang-Guobin is currently being held at the Public Prosecutor’s Office facilities in San José, where authorities are seeking pretrial detention on international drug trafficking charges.

Costa Rican authorities said they remain committed to working firmly and in coordination with national and international authorities to investigate and prosecute crimes related to drug trafficking and criminal organizations operating both inside and outside the country.

The arrest was made possible through coordinated efforts involving the DEA, IRS, the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Ministry of Public Security (MSP), the Drug Control Police (PCD) and UEA agents.

In related developments, U.S. Ambassador Melinda Hildebrand recently met with senior Costa Rican Judicial Branch officials to discuss security cooperation between the two countries. The meeting aimed to reaffirm the countries’ commitment to bringing drug traffickers and other criminals who threaten the security of both countries to justice.

The case comes as the United States and Costa Rica continue to expand security cooperation against transnational organized crime. In September, a joint operation led by the DEA and Costa Rican authorities resulted in the arrest of five suspected members of Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel.

One of the most recent cooperative operations between Costa Rica and the United States took place recently, when a U.S. Air Force Globemaster transported nearly 45 tons of drugs seized in Costa Rica this year to the United States on Friday for destruction.

Also, Costa Rica extradited a 40-year-old Costa Rican man identified by the surname Morales-Araya and four foreign nationals to the United States to face drug trafficking charges, marking the fifth time the country has sent one of its citizens abroad to face criminal prosecution.

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

The UEA, which stands for Special Support Unit, is one of the elite or special operations units of the Ministry of Public Security.

The Ministry of Public Security (MSP) is the government department responsible for citizen safety, public order and efforts to combat crime.

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

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