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Published on Wednesday, October
21, 2026
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
A
joint counternarcotics operation led
by the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA) and the U.S.
Coast Guard (USCG) resulted in the
seizure of approximately 1.5 tons of
cocaine and the arrest of two suspects
off Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast,
authorities said. According
to the Ministry of Public Security
(MSP), the two-day operation began
Monday after a USCG surveillance
aircraft detected a suspicious 32-foot
go-fast boat about 20 nautical miles
off Matapalo Cape
on the Osa Peninsula in Puntarenas
Province. The vessel had no visible
registration numbers or national flag,
officials said. Using
coordinates provided by U.S.
authorities, the Costa Rican Coast
Guard launched an operation to
intercept the boat. After about 12
hours of searching, officers located
the vessel Tuesday. During
the pursuit, the crew attempted to
flee and threw part of the drug cargo
into the sea, authorities said.
The Coast Guard
coordinated with the Special Operations
Group (GOPES) to tow the vessel to the
Coast Guard station at Golfito Beach in Puntarenas
Province, where Drug Control Police
specialists conducted a detailed
inspection. Investigators
counted more than 1,500 packages of
cocaine, each weighing about 1 kilogram,
for a total of approximately 1.5 tons. Authorities also
seized the boat, the drugs, firearms,
fuel, documents, electronic navigation
equipment and other devices as evidence. The suspects
remain in custody under the jurisdiction
of the Public Ministry’s Puntarenas
office. Prosecutors are seeking pretrial
detention as the suspects face charges
of international drug trafficking. Authorities 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 to
expand security cooperation against
transnational organized crime. Costa Rican
authorities recently deported
three Mexican nationals wanted
in the United States on
federal drug trafficking
charges. 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. The MSP is the government agency
responsible for public safety,
public order and efforts to combat
crime.
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