Photo via U.S. Coast Guard
|
|||
Published on Tuesday, August 13, 2024
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
As
part of the Joint Patrol Treaty with the
United States, the U.S. Coast Guard led an
anti-drug operation that resulted in the
arrest of three individuals for
trafficking almost two tons of cocaine in
a narco-submarine.
A
narco-submarine is a type of custom
ocean-going, self-propelled,
semi-submersible vessel built for drug
smugglers.
U.S.
officials instructed the Costa Rican Coast
Guard to follow the alert's coordinates to
intercept the 45-foot-long submarine
around 69 nautical miles off Matapalo
Cape in
Osa Peninsula, Puntarenas Province.
This
is the first case of a narco submarine
interception in Costa Rica this year.
Inside the submarine, the officers found
many packages containing drugs along with
large fuel containers and navigation
equipment.
Officers
arrested three male crew members, one from
Ecuador surnamed Castillo (29), and two
from Colombia surnamed Parades (47) and surnamed
Lopez (37).
Police
towed the submarine to the Golfito Beach
Coast Guard Station.
At
the place on Monday, specialists from the
Drug Control Police conducted a more
thorough inspection and found almost 2,000
cocaine packages, each weighing
approximately one kilogram.
The
submarine, drugs, fuel and
electronic navigation equipment were
confiscated as evidence in this case.
The
suspects were taken to the cells of the
Puntarenas Public Ministry, where they had
to wait for a judge to order pre-trial
prison indicted of the alleged crime of
international drug trafficking.
Authorities
call for people to report any suspicion of
drug sales or trafficking to the ten-digit
confidential line 800-8000-645 or fast
line 11-76, where bilingual agents
can answer calls in English or Spanish.
So far this year Costa Rica seized almost 15 tons of cocaine and about 10 tons of marijuana, authorities added.
The State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics
and Law Enforcement (INL) works
closely with Costa Rican security
partners.
Through cooperation and assistance
from INL and other law enforcement
agencies, Costa Rica confronts its
drug trafficking problem by
intercepting and confiscating
illicit drugs.
Narcotics seizures by
the Costa Rican government hit new
records in 2020 and 2021, with 72.7
and 71.1 metric tons seized respectively. However, seizures declined in 2022 to
54.3 metric tons, according
to the U.S. Department of
State.
The U.S. assigned over $269
million in bilateral and regional
security assistance to strengthen
and modernize Costa Rica’s security forces, improve local
security throughout the country,
reduce the influence of corruption,
and enhance the justice sector’s ability to investigate and
prosecute transnational criminals,
the Department of State, added in
its statement.
This assistance includes equipment
donations, training, and technical
assistance that enhance Costa Rica’s capacity to confront the growing
threat of organized crime and drug
trafficking.
What should the U.S. do to help Costa Rica combat drug trafficking? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com
|