In a coordinated effort under the Joint Patrol Treaty, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Colombian Coast Guard Corps supported two simultaneous anti-drug operations in Costa Rica on Tuesday, leading to the arrest of eight suspected traffickers and the seizure of a significant quantity of narcotics.

According to the Ministry of Public Security (MSP), the first operation began when the Colombian Coast Guard Corps alerted U.S. authorities about two suspicious “go-fast” boats traveling along the Pacific coast from Colombia.

A U.S. Coast Guard surveillance plane tracked the vessels as they crossed into Costa Rica’s maritime zone, noting they lacked visible registration numbers or national flags.

Costa Rican Coast Guard units moved quickly on the coordinates provided and intercepted the first 30-foot boat about 180 nautical miles off Golfito Beach in Puntarenas province. On board, officers discovered large bags containing dozens of packages of what is believed to be cocaine.

Three men were taken into custody on suspicion of drug trafficking. Authorities identified the suspects as two Ecuadorian nationals, Fermello (40) and Rodriguez (41) and a Colombian national, Morales (38).

The second vessel was intercepted almost simultaneously after it docked at Zancudo Beach in Golfito canton, Puntarenas. According to the police report, the crew abandoned the boat and fled into a nearby mangrove swamp, leaving behind its drug cargo. Police coordinated a land pursuit and arrested the suspects, who were hiding in nearby bushes.

The second group of suspects, all Costa Rican men, were identified by their surnames: Ramos, Mora, Suárez, and two individuals with the surname Sánchez.

Both vessels were towed to the Coast Guard station at Golfito Beach, where Drug Control Police specialists conducted a detailed inspection. As of late Tuesday, authorities had not yet completed the full inventory of the seized narcotics.

In addition to the drugs, authorities confiscated the boats, fuel, firearms, and electronic navigation equipment as evidence.

All eight suspects were transferred to a detention facility under the jurisdiction of the Puntarenas Public Ministry, where they await a judge’s ruling on whether pretrial detention will be imposed for international drug trafficking charges.

Officials urged the public to report any suspected drug sales or trafficking activities through the confidential hotline 800-8000-645 or the rapid-response line 11-76. Bilingual agents are available to assist callers in both English and Spanish.

This operation comes shortly after Costa Rica and the United States renewed an agreement to share radar, sensor, and aerial tracking data to bolster efforts against drug trafficking and transnational organized crime.

In 2024, Costa Rican authorities seized nearly 32 tons of cocaine and 15 tons of marijuana, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

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 $270 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 MSP is responsible for ensuring citizen security, maintaining public order, forming police units, and coordinating anti-crime initiatives.