As part of the Joint Patrol Treaty, the U.S. Coast Guard led two anti-drug operations in Costa Rica over the weekend, resulting in the arrest of three suspected traffickers and the seizure of more than 1.6 tons of narcotics and a shipment of firearms.

According to the Ministry of Public Security (MSP), the first operation began Saturday when a U.S. Coast Guard aircraft spotted a suspicious 30-foot go-fast boat traveling along the Pacific coast without a visible registration number or national flag.

U.S. authorities relayed the vessel’s coordinates to the Costa Rican Coast Guard and instructed them to intercept it approximately 80 nautical miles off Quepos Beach in the Puntarenas province.

Three male crew members were taken into custody on suspicion of firearms trafficking. Authorities identified the suspects as two Costa Ricans, surnamed Sobalbarro and Corea, and one Nicaraguan national, surnamed Blair.

The vessel was towed to the Quepos Beach Coast Guard Station, where specialists from the Drug Control Police conducted a detailed inspection. They discovered a shipment of assault rifles, pistols, ammunition, and more than 600 gallons of fuel stored in two large containers.

Authorities seized the vessel, fuel, firearms, and electronic navigation equipment as evidence.

The suspects were taken to a detention facility under the jurisdiction of the Puntarenas Public Ministry, where they await a judge’s decision on whether to impose pre-trial detention for international firearms trafficking.

A second operation took place Sunday when another U.S. Coast Guard aircraft identified a suspicious fishing vessel docked in the Térraba-Sierpe wetland, located on the southern Pacific coast.

Following the coordinates provided by U.S. authorities, the Costa Rican Drug Control Police discovered a nearby warehouse containing approximately 1,600 packages of cocaine and around 40 packages of marijuana. Each package weighed about one kilogram.

No suspects were found in the area at the time of the seizure.

All drugs and the boat were confiscated as evidence in the ongoing investigation.

“More patrols in the area are possible thanks to the help of the United States,” said Mario Zamora, Costa Rica’s Minister of Public Security.

Authorities are urging the public to report any suspicions of drug sales or trafficking through the confidential line 800-8000-645 or the fast line 11-76. Bilingual agents are available to take calls in English or Spanish.

In 2024, Costa Rica seized nearly 32 tons of cocaine and about 15 tons of marijuana, according to the Ministry.

The U.S. State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) works closely with Costa Rican security forces in the fight against drug trafficking. Through ongoing cooperation, Costa Rica has been able to intercept and seize illicit drugs, with record-breaking narcotics seizures in 2020 and 2021—72.7 and 71.1 metric tons, respectively.


The U.S. has provided more than $269 million in bilateral and regional security assistance to help modernize Costa Rica’s security forces, improve local security, combat corruption, and strengthen the justice sector’s ability to investigate and prosecute transnational criminals.


This assistance includes equipment donations, training, and technical support to bolster Costa Rica's capacity to confront organized crime and drug trafficking.

 
The Ministry of Public Security (MSP) is responsible for ensuring citizen security, maintaining public order, forming police units, and coordinating anti-crime initiatives.