Costa Rica extradites a Nicaraguan to U.S.

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Published on Monday, September 2, 2024

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Interpol and the Judicial Investigation Organization (OIJ) agents successfully extradited a Nicaraguan male surnamed Herrera (49) to the United States.

According to the OIJ, Herrera was on the run for ten years after receiving a Red Notice from U.S. officials. He is suspected of being a part of a Nicaraguan drug trafficking group that operates in the U.S.

In 2022, Herrera was arrested for speeding on a public road in Limón Province. During the police operation, officials determined Herrera submitted a fake ID.

He was taken to the Public Ministry, where officers uncovered his real name and the international arrest warrant after conducting a more extensive check of his fingerprints.

The suspect was taken in custody at the Immigration Apprehension Center in San José until his extradition to the United States was finalized on Wednesday.

Herrera was handed up to U.S. officers at the Ministry of Security's Base 2 at Juan Santamaría International Airport in Alajuela Province.

This is only one of many cases in which foreigners have been arrested in Costa Rica after being issued with an international arrest warrant. Interpol recently detained a male Ecuadorian national surnamed Pinto (51), who was wanted in the United States.

In August, Interpol arrested a Canadian citizen surnamed Liam (28) as a suspect in a misappropriation case.

As of April, Costa Rica has deported 350 foreign people, according to statistics from the General Directorate of Migration.

Last year closed with almost 1,000 foreigners deported. This figure is a 47% increase over the 664 individuals deported in 2022.

The United States and Costa Rica established an extradition treaty in 1982, which was ratified by the Costa Rican Congress in 1991. The agreement's goal is to provide for more effective cooperation between the two States in the repression of crime; and the reciprocal extradition of fugitives from justice.

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What have you heard concerning expats being deported from the U.S. to Costa Rica? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com