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Published on Monday, April 20, 2026
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Two
joint anti-narcotics operations
involving the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA), the U.S. Coast
Guard (USCG) and the Costa Rican Coast
Guard resulted in the seizure of
nearly 2 tons of cocaine and the
arrest of six suspects off Costa
Rica’s Pacific coast, authorities
said. According
to the Ministry of Public Security
(MSP), the first operation began
Thursday after U.S. officials alerted
local authorities to a suspicious
go-fast boat traveling about 175
nautical miles off Blanco Cape,
in the Nicoya peninsula. A
U.S. Coast Guard aircraft tracked the
32-foot vessel, which displayed the
name “Poseidon” but had no
registration numbers or national flag. Acting
on coordinates provided by U.S.
authorities, the Costa Rican Coast
Guard intercepted the boat. During an
onboard inspection, officers found
large sacks containing dozens of
packages believed to be cocaine. Three
crew members, identified by the last
names Guisamano, Camacho and Palacios,
all Colombian nationals, were
arrested. The
vessel was towed to the Coast Guard
station at Quepos Beach,
where specialists from the Drug
Control Police conducted a detailed
inspection. Authorities counted more
than 1,900 packages of cocaine, each
weighing about 1 kilogram, for a total
of approximately 1.9 tons.
A
second operation was reported Saturday
under similar circumstances. The USCG
spotted another 32-foot boat crossing
near Matapalo Cape,
in Puntarenas province. The
vessel, marked with the name “Zeus
27,” likewise had no registration
numbers or national flag. DEA officers
tracked the boat and shared its
location with Costa Rican officials. Costa
Rican authorities intercepted the
vessel and discovered large sacks
containing dozens of cocaine packages.
Three crew members, identified by the
last names Montaño, Rivera and Cuero,
all Colombian nationals, were taken
into custody. At
the Quepos Coast Guard station, Drug
Control Police officers reported the
cargo included more than 940 packages
of cocaine, each weighing about 1
kilogram. In
both operations, authorities also
seized the vessels, narcotics, fuel
and electronic navigation equipment.
Officials urged
the public to report suspected drug
activity through Costa Rica’s
confidential 10-digit hotline at
800-8000-645 or its rapid-response line
at 1176. Both services operate in
English and Spanish.
The operation was
conducted under the Joint Maritime
Patrol Treaty between Costa Rica and the
United States, which facilitates
coordinated anti-drug efforts. 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.
Since 2018, the
U.S. Department of State has provided
nearly $270 million in bilateral and
regional security assistance to Costa
Rica. The support includes equipment,
training and technical
expertise to strengthen law enforcement,
combat organized crime and improve the
justice system’s capacity to prosecute
transnational criminal groups.
The Public
Security Ministry (MSP) is the
high-level administrative department
responsible for citizen safety, public
order and anti-crime
efforts.
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