Published on Wednesday, March 5, 2025
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

On Tuesday, International Police (Interpol) agents deported a 51-year-old Ecuadorian national, surnamed Pinto, to the United States following an international Red Notice.

According to the Judicial Investigation Organization (OIJ), the U.S. Department of Justice issued an arrest order for Pinto in 2023. He is accused of being involved in a fraud and money laundering conspiracy.

Pinto was arrested in August 2024 at the Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) in Alajuela Province after arriving on a flight from Quito, Ecuador.

After his arrest, he was held for over six months at the Migration Detention Center in Hatillo District, San José Province, while his extradition process was underway.

This is just one of several extradition cases between the U.S. and Costa Rica. In November 2024, Costa Rica deported a 32-year-old U.S. citizen surnamed Hank to face fentanyl trafficking charges in the United States.

Costa Rica and the United States signed an extradition treaty in 1982, which was ratified by the Congress in 1991. The treaty aims to foster stronger cooperation in combating crime and ensures the reciprocal extradition of fugitives.

The Judicial Investigation Organization (OIJ), a division of the Supreme Court of Justice, conducts criminal investigations. Its officers hold nationwide police authority.

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