Photo via United States Coast Guard
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Published on Monday, September 2, 2024
By the
A.M. Costa Rica staff
The
United States Coast Guard led two gasoline
smuggling operations in Costa Rica that
resulted in the arrest of seven
individuals accused of trafficking fuel.
According
to the Ministry of Public Security, the
first case happened on Friday, when a U.S.
Coast Guard airplane spotted a suspicious
small bass fishing boat crossing the Costa
Rican Pacific Coast with no visible
license plate number or country's flag.
U.S.
officials led the Costa Rican Coast Guard
to intercept the 32-foot-long boat around
80 nautical miles off Quepos
Beach,
Puntarenas Province.
Costa
Rican authorities discovered at least five
large gasoline containers as well as
navigation equipment onboard.
The
police arrested four male crew members
suspected of trafficking gasoline: a
Nicaraguan surnamed Sánchez (24), a Costa
Rican surnamed Quiros (54) and two
Colombians surnamed Sierra.
Authorities
towed the boat to the Quepos Beach Coast
Guard Station. On Saturday, Drug Control
Police specialists conducted a more
extensive inspection and discovered that
the shipment included 660 liters of
gasoline.
The
suspects were unable to explain why they
were shipping gasoline in an unlicensed
boat. They were transferred to the
Puntarenas Public Ministry cells and had
to wait for a judge to rule on a pre-trial
indictment for alleged gasoline smuggling.
The
boat, fuel and electronic navigation
equipment were
confiscated as
evidence in this case.
The
second case occurred on Saturday when
another U.S. Coast Guard airplane
discovered a suspicious little bass
fishing boat with no visible registration
plate number or nation flag crossing the
Costa Rica Caribbean Coast.
The
Costa Rican Coast Guard located the
32-foot-long boat using coordinates
provided by U.S. officials and after it
went aground at Cieneguita
Beach in
Limón.
The cargo and boat were confiscated and transported to the Coast Guard station in Limón Beach. At the place, authorities discovered that the shipment consisted of several large fuel containers totaling 290 liters of gasoline.
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.
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