No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchiveWife of Liberty Reserve founder to seek husband's Costa Rica assets

Wife of Liberty Reserve founder to seek husband’s Costa Rica assets

Yessenia Valerio Vargas, a Costa Rican woman who was paid to marry Arthur Budovsky – the founder and owner of the now-defunct online currency company Liberty Reserve – will file a legal claim in Costa Rica seeking half of her husband’s assets, which were seized by Costa Rican authorities following raids in late May.

Valerio worked as a street vendor selling empanadas near Immigration Administration facilities in San José when she was contacted in 2008 by Budovsky’s lawyer, who asked her to marry the Ukrainian-born U.S. man in exchange for ₡200,000 ($400).

On Tuesday, Valerio told News Channel 11 that she would seek Budovsky’s assets, adding that the FBI had asked her to testify in an upcoming trial against Budovsky in the United States. Budovsky was arrested in Spain on May 25 and extradited to the U.S. on money laundering and other charges.

U.S. officials allege that the Costa Rica-based Liberty Reserve laundered some $6 billion over a period of seven years, the largest money laundering operation in history.

Among Budovsky’s assets seized in Costa Rica are four Rolls-Royces, a Mercedes Benz and a motorcycle. Under Costa Rican law, those assets must be auctioned by the Costa Rican Drug Institute to finance Costa Rica’s fight against illicit drug trafficking.

Valerio’s lawyer, Javier Vargas, on Tuesday told the daily La Nación that “there is no reason to annul the marriage,” and he would seek “half of everything Budovsky acquired in the country from 2008 to 2011, when the money laundering investigation began.”

Several members of Liberty Reserve’s operations were included in the U.S. indictment, but two key Costa Rican employees remain at large.

Trending Now

Costa Rica Peanut Growing Guide From Planting to Harvest

Not long ago, a neighbor gave us some peanuts she said were from Peru. Since we’ve had good luck growing peanuts, we were excited...

Bolivia Elects Center-Right Leader Amid Crisis

Bolivians on Sunday elected a pro-business center-right senator as their new president, ending two decades of socialist rule that have left the South American...

Guatemala Backlash Grows after Escape of Imprisoned Gang Members

The escape of 20 “high-risk” gang members from a prison has sparked a political crisis in Guatemala, with criticism of President Bernardo Arévalo and...

Tourist Numbers Dropped in Costa Rica During 2025’s First Seven Months

Costa Rica's tourism took a hit in the first seven months of 2025, with visitor numbers dropping compared to the previous year. By the...

Costa Rica’s Rincón de la Vieja Volcano Experiences Moderate Eruption

Guanacaste residents woke up to activity from Rincón de la Vieja volcano yesterday morning. The volcano produced a moderate phreatic eruption at 6:08 a.m....

Costa Rica Sport Fishing Industry Pushes 2026 Presidential Candidates

Leaders from Costa Rica’s tourism and sport fishing industry gathered last week to push for stronger marine policies, pressing presidential hopefuls to commit to...
L. Arias
L. Arias
Reporter | The Tico Times |
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica