U.S. and Costa Rican authorities seized more than 3 tons of cocaine and arrested four suspected drug traffickers during a maritime interdiction operation in the Pacific Ocean conducted under the Joint Patrol Treaty between Costa Rica and the United States.

The operation was led by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) in coordination with Costa Rica's Coast Guard and Drug Control Police.

According to the Ministry of Public Security (MSP), the operation began after a USCG aircraft detected a suspicious 40-foot self-propelled semi-submersible traveling along the Pacific Coast without visible registration numbers or a national flag.

The DEA alerted the Coast Guard, which intercepted the semi-submarine about 4 nautical miles off Matapalo Cape on the Osa Peninsula in Puntarenas Province.

Authorities arrested four men suspected of international drug trafficking. Officials identified the suspects as three Colombian nationals and one Ecuadorian national but did not release their names.

The vessel was towed to the Coast Guard Station in Golfito, where officers from the Drug Control Police conducted a detailed inspection and discovered 3,000 packages of cocaine. Authorities said each package weighed approximately one kilogram.

Officials also confiscated the vessel, electronic navigation equipment and other devices as evidence.


The suspects were transferred to the custody of the Puntarenas Public Ministry, where prosecutors were expected to seek 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.


The MPS reported that authorities seized 58 tons of drugs in 2025, primarily cocaine and marijuana.


The operation comes amid growing security cooperation between Costa Rica and the United States. According to the U.S. Department of State, the United States has provided nearly $270 million in bilateral and regional security assistance to Costa Rica since 2018.

The assistance has included equipment, training and technical expertise designed to strengthen law enforcement capabilities, combat organized crime and improve the justice system's ability to prosecute transnational criminal organizations.

In May, Costa Rica and the U.S. signed an amendment to their bilateral patrol treaty, expanding cooperation to include efforts against illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUU), in addition to maritime drug trafficking.

In March, the U.S. donated two mobile scanners to Costa Rica to enhance security at major border crossings and strengthen efforts to combat drug trafficking and transnational organized crime.

Costa Rica also joined a U.S.-led regional agreement to combat criminal cartels and organized crime across the Western Hemisphere during the Shield of the Americas Summit.

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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