A joint counternarcotics operation led by the U.S. Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATFS) and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) resulted in the seizure of approximately 2.5 tons of drugs and the arrest of two suspects off Costa Rica's Pacific Coast, authorities said.

According to the Public Security Ministry (MSP), the operation began Sunday after a JIATFS surveillance aircraft detected a suspicious 34-foot go-fast vessel about 67 nautical miles off Matapalo Cape on the Osa Peninsula in Puntarenas Province. Officials said the vessel displayed no visible registration numbers or national flag.

Using coordinates provided by U.S. authorities, the Costa Rican Coast Guard launched an operation to intercept the vessel. On Sunday, officers located and boarded the boat, where they discovered large sacks containing dozens of packages suspected of holding marijuana and cocaine.

Two suspects were arrested aboard the vessel. Authorities identified them as Colombian nationals. 

The Coast Guard coordinated with the Special Operations Group (GOPES) to tow the vessel to the Coast Guard Station at Golfito Beach in Puntarenas, where Drug Control Police specialists conducted a detailed inspection.


Investigators counted more than 2,240 marijuana packages and about 260 cocaína packages, each weighing about 1 kilogram, for a total of approximately 2.5 tons.


Authorities also seized the vessel, the narcotics, fuel, documents, electronic navigation equipment and other devices as evidence.

The suspects remain in custody under the jurisdiction of the Public Prosecutor's Office in Puntarenas. Prosecutors are seeking pretrial detention while they face charges of international drug trafficking.

Officials urged the public to report suspected drug-related activity through the confidential 10-digit hotline at 800-8000-645 or the rapid-response line at 1176. Both services are available in English and Spanish.

The operation was conducted under the Joint Maritime Patrol Treaty between Costa Rica and the United States, which allows the two countries to coordinate maritime counternarcotics operations.

The seizure comes as the United States and Costa Rica continue expanding security cooperation against transnational organized crime.  Another recent joint effort took place last month, when a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transported nearly 45 tons of drugs seized in Costa Rica this year to the United States for destruction.

In September, the United States donated two interceptor boats and three all-terrain vehicles valued at $2.3 million to Costa Rica’s National Coast Guard Service.  The vessels are intended to strengthen Costa Rica’s ability to monitor and respond to activities related to drug trafficking in national and international waters.

Since 2018, the U.S. Department of State has provided more than $269 million in bilateral and regional security assistance to Costa Rica. The assistance includes equipment, training and technical expertise designed to strengthen law enforcement, combat organized crime and improve the justice system's ability to prosecute transnational criminal organizations.


The Public Security Ministry is Costa Rica's national agency responsible for public safety, maintaining public order and leading anti-crime operations.


The Joint Interagency Task Force South is a U.S. multiservice and multiagency task force headquartered at Naval Air Station Key West, Florida, and is responsible for coordinating international detection and monitoring operations against illicit trafficking in the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and the eastern Pacific Ocean.

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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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