Published on Thursday, July 9, 2026
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

A U.S. Southern Command-led counterdrug operation resulted in the seizure of nearly 2 tons of cocaine and the arrest of three suspected drug traffickers after authorities intercepted a speedboat in Costa Rica's Pacific waters, officials said.

According to the Ministry of Public Security (MSP), the operation was conducted under the Joint Patrol Treaty between Costa Rica and the United States.

It began on Wednesday after the United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) detected a suspicious 38-foot go-fast boat traveling along the Pacific coast without visible registration numbers or a national flag.

USSOUTHCOM coordinated the operation with Costa Rica's Coast Guard, the Drug Control Police (PCD) and the Coast Guard's Specialized Tactical Unit (GOPES).

Costa Rican authorities intercepted the vessel near Ballena Bay on the Osa Peninsula in Puntarenas province after receiving an alert from USSOUTHCOM.

Once aboard the vessel, officers discovered numerous bags containing suspected cocaine.

Authorities arrested the three crew members on suspicion of international drug trafficking. The suspects were identified as two Ecuadorian men with the surnames Chila and González and one Colombian man with the surname Quiñones.

The vessel was towed to the Coast Guard station in Golfito, where officers from the Drug Control Police conducted a detailed inspection. Investigators found nearly 2,000 packages of cocaine each weighing about 1 kilogram. Authorities described the overall seizure as approximately 2 tons of cocaine.

Officials also seized the speedboat, 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 illegal drug sales through the 10-digit confidential hotline at 800-8000-645 or the rapid-response line 1176. Officials said bilingual agents are available to assist callers in both English and Spanish.

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


The latest operation comes amid expanding 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 specialized equipment, training and technical expertise to strengthen law enforcement capabilities, combat organized crime and improve the justice system's ability to prosecute transnational criminal organizations.

More recently, Costa Rica and the United States signed an amendment to their bilateral patrol treaty expanding cooperation to include efforts against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, in addition to maritime drug trafficking.

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

Costa Rica also joined a U.S.-led regional agreement during the Shield of the Americas Summit aimed at strengthening cooperation against criminal cartels and transnational organized crime throughout the Western Hemisphere.

The MSP is responsible for maintaining public order, overseeing Costa Rica's police forces and coordinating the country's national crime-fighting strategies.

USSOUTHCOM, headquartered in Doral, in the U.S. State of Florida, is one of 11 unified combatant commands within the U.S. Department of Defense. The command oversees contingency planning, military operations and security cooperation across Central and South America, the Caribbean and surrounding territorial waters while protecting U.S. military personnel and assets throughout the region.

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