No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsCrimeCosta Rican police dismantle international drug trafficking gang

Costa Rican police dismantle international drug trafficking gang

Agents of Costa Rica’s Drug Control Police (PCD) on Tuesday morning arrested nine suspects accused of belonging to a criminal organization dedicated to smuggling drugs into Europe.

Public Security Minister Celso Gamboa said at a press conference that the arrests took place in 10 simultaneous raids conducted in the provinces of Limón, Alajuela, Puntarenas and San José.

Detainees include six Costa Ricans, one Colombian, one Dominican and an Israeli. According to Gamboa, the suspects belong to a gang that includes three men arrested in Limón last week.

In a central Pacific beach condo in Jacó owned by an Israeli with the last name Shoya, agents found a hydroponics lab with 70 marijuana plants and 15.621 doses of LSD.

The Tico Times
The Tico Times

The PCD said the gang was led by a Colombian man with the last name Higuita, 47, and consisted of 12 people (11 men and one woman).

In a previous raid in Limón on May 16, police seized 778 kilos of cocaine, three firearms and $593,400 and ₡3.4 million ($ 6,600) in cash.

According to the PCD, the Colombians were responsible for receiving and storing the drugs sent from their country via the Caribbean Sea.

The Israeli man was a link to Europe, mostly the Netherlands, where he traveled frequently to close deals and collect payments, the investigation alleges.

Two Dominicans with the last names Sierra Tejeda and Soto Santana were responsible for hiding the drugs inside yucca and pineapple shipments, with the help of six Costa Ricans identified as Víquez Ramírez, Miranda Campos, Montero Picado, Rojas Guzmán, Guzmán Picado and Rose Mitshore.

The Tico Times
The Tico Times

The investigation began last year, and initial evidence against the group was found during a seizure in the Netherlands of 16 kilos of cocaine in January, also hidden in a pineapple shipment, Gamboa said.

Chief Prosecutor Jorge Chavarría said the raids helped dismantle an entire gang and expose their operations in the country.

 

The Tico Times
The Tico Times

Trending Now

Canadian Tourism to Costa Rica Drops Amid Rising Crime Concerns

Canadian visits to Costa Rica have started to drop in 2025, with crime playing a big part in the shift. Data from the Costa...

Salvadoran Lawyers Fight for Rights of Trump-Deported Migrants in Secretive Prison

A small group of overstretched and outmatched lawyers is fighting for the rights of men deported by the Trump administration and held in a...

Short Term Rental Income in Costa Rica to Face New Tax Rules

Property owners in Costa Rica who rent accommodations through popular platforms like Airbnb or Booking.com will soon face a new tax obligation. The General...

Costa Rica Overturns Management Plan for Gandoca-Manzanillo Refuge

Costa Rica’s Constitutional Court has ruled that the General Management Plan for the Gandoca-Manzanillo Mixed Wildlife Refuge is unconstitutional. The decision annuls both the...

Costa Rica Police Uncover Second Cyanide-Laced Mining Operation in Crucitas

The environmental crisis in Crucitas persists. Police discovered and dismantled an artisanal mining material processing plant in a wooded area of Tatú Hill in Crucitas,...

Costa Rican Economists Raise Alarm Over U.S. Cash Transfer Tax

In 2026, the U.S. government will impose a 1% tax on cash remittances sent from the United States to Latin America. Electronic transfers will...
L. Arias
L. Arias
Reporter | The Tico Times |
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
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