Costa Rica, with assistance from the United States, carried out a large-scale deportation operation on Tuesday under the Costa Rica Deportation Assistance Pilot (CDAP), removing 26 foreign nationals convicted of crimes, immigration authorities said.

According to the General Directorate of Migration (DGM), the United States provided an Air Panama charter flight that departed early Tuesday from Juan Santamaría International Airport in Alajuela Province.

The flight transported 26 foreign nationals from Colombia and Ecuador who were expelled from Costa Rica after committing crimes in the country.

Migration officials said the aircraft's first stop was Colombia, where 17 Colombian nationals were turned over to local authorities. The individuals had completed prison sentences in Costa Rica for crimes including drug trafficking, attempted murder and aggravated robbery before being deported.

The flight then continued to Ecuador, where authorities took custody of nine Ecuadorian nationals. According to the DGM, they were deported after being convicted of illegal entry into Costa Rica.

Authorities said the operation was carried out in accordance with Costa Rican law and international human rights agreements.

The deportation marks the second U.S.-assisted mass removal operation conducted in Costa Rica this year. In March, the United States helped Costa Rica deport 33 foreign nationals who had also been expelled after committing crimes in the country.

In a related development, Costa Rican authorities recently deported a Nicaraguan citizen wanted in the United States on charges involving passport fraud and counterfeiting U.S. currency.

Authorities urged the public to report individuals believed to be hiding in the country while subject to an Interpol Red Notice. Tips can be submitted confidentially through the agency's 10-digit hotline at 800-8000-645 or its quick-response line at 11-76, where bilingual agents are available in English and Spanish.

The DGME, Costa Rica’s immigration authority, oversees visas, residency, work permits and other processes for foreign nationals living in the country.

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