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Published on Monday, May 11, 2026
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
U.S.
and Costa Rican authorities seized
nearly 3 tons of drugs and arrested
nine suspected traffickers in two
anti-drug operations carried out in
the Pacific Ocean under the Joint
Patrol Treaty between Costa Rica and
the United States. The
operations were led by the U.S. Drug
Enforcement Administration (DEA) and
the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), working
alongside Costa Rica’s Coast Guard and
Drug Control Police. According
to the Ministry of Public Security
(MSP), the first operation began
Saturday after a USCG aircraft
detected a suspicious 32-foot go-fast
boat traveling along the Pacific coast
without visible registration numbers
or a national flag. DEA
alerted Costa Rica’s Coast Guard,
which intercepted the vessel about 138
nautical miles off Golfito Beach
in Puntarenas province. Two
men were arrested on suspicion of
international drug trafficking.
Authorities identified them as
Colombian nationals with the surnames
Rovira and Córdoba.
The
vessel was towed to the Golfito Coast
Guard Station,
where officers from the Drug Control
Police conducted a detailed inspection
and discovered 1,200 packages of
marijuana and cocaine. Each package
weighed approximately one kilogram. A
second operation took place on Sunday
after a USCG plane spotted a
suspicious 38-foot bass-fishing boat
with a Costa Rican registration and
flag in the same Pacific maritime
region. Costa
Rican authorities intercepted the
vessel near the area where the first
boat had been detected. Seven
crew members were arrested on
suspicion of drug trafficking,
including five Costa Ricans, one
Colombian and
one Nicaraguan. Authorities did not
release the suspects’ names. The
boat was taken to the same Coast Guard
Station, where officers discovered
approximately 1,700 packages of
cocaine weighing about one kilogram
each.
In
both operations, authorities
confiscated the vessels, drugs, fuel,
electronic navigation equipment and
other devices as evidence. The
nine suspects were transferred to the
custody of the Puntarenas Public
Ministry, where prosecutors were
expected to request pretrial detention
on charges related to international
drug trafficking. Authorities
urged the public to report suspected
drug trafficking or drug sales through
the confidential 10-digit hotline at
800-8000-645 or the rapid-response
line 11-76. Officials said bilingual
agents are available to assist callers
in English and Spanish. Costa
Rica’s Ministry of Public Security
reported that authorities seized 58
tons of drugs in 2025, primarily
cocaine and marijuana. Since
2018, the U.S. has provided nearly
$270 million in bilateral and regional
security assistance to Costa Rica,
according to the U.S. Department of
State. The aid has included equipment,
training and
technical expertise aimed at
strengthening law enforcement,
combating organized crime and
improving the justice system’s ability
to prosecute transnational criminal
organizations. The
Ministry of Public Security (MSP) is
responsible for maintaining public
order, overseeing police forces and
coordinating national anti-crime
strategies.
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