Interpol issues red notice for fugitive Sea Shepherd founder

Interpol confirmed on its website Tuesday afternoon that it had issued a red notice request based on an arrest warrant issued by Costa Rica for Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson, who is wanted in the Central American country on charges of endangering a ship’s crew in 2002.

Watson skipped bail in Germany in late July, after being arrested in May in Frankfurt on a Costa Rican warrant.

A red notice is the highest bulletin the international policing body issues, but isn’t an arrest warrant. Interpol member countries determine whether they can detain or arrest an individual in order for the requesting country to seek extradition.

It also states that each of Interpol’s 190 member countries must apply their national laws and standards, and that any additional inquiries in relation to Watson’s Red Notice “should be directed to Costa Rican authorities.”

Writing from an undisclosed location, Watson posted a message July 30 to followers on Sea Shepherd’s website that said he decided to flee house arrest in Germany after learning that German officials planned to accept an extradition request for his transfer to Japan.

“I am presently in a place on this planet where I feel comfortable, a safe place far away from the scheming nations who have turned a blind eye to the exploitation of our oceans,” Watson wrote.