No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeDrug traffickingThree Ecuadorians sentenced in Costa Rica for drug trafficking

Three Ecuadorians sentenced in Costa Rica for drug trafficking

Costa Rican courts have sentenced three Ecuadorians, who were captured a year ago with a cocaine shipment, to eight years of prison for drug trafficking.

The three men were subject to a short trial after pleading guilty to the charges against them, the Public Ministry stated in a press release on Friday.

The South Americans were identified as Jorge Bolívar Chaves and the brothers Mario and José Luis Palma González, who served a preventive prison sentence while awaiting their trial.

The three were detained on Sept. 2, 2016 in Jacó in the Central Pacific of Costa Rica after fleeing from Coast Guard, which had detected them in a boat with a shipment of 331 kilos of cocaine.

A great quantity of the cocaine seized by Costa Rican authorities passes through the country’s Pacific slope, where the Coast Guard operates with information collected by U.S. reconnaissance planes.

Trending Now

Argentina’s Navone Hands Djokovic His Earliest Grand Slam Exit in 20 Years

Novak Djokovic’s bid for a record 25th Grand Slam title ended almost as soon as it began Sunday night, with Argentina’s Mariano Navone pulling...

Ship Pays Record Amount to Cross Panama Canal Amid Drought Restrictions

A ship paid a record $5.3 million to cross the Panama Canal sooner, just days before a reduction in vessel traffic takes effect due...

Joao Fonseca Pulls Out of 2026 US Open With Abdominal Injury

Brazilian tennis star Joao Fonseca has withdrawn from the 2026 US Open after failing to recover from an abdominal injury suffered during the Cincinnati...

UPEACE Invites Global Changemakers to Bring Their Ideas to the 2027 Gross Global Happiness Summit in Costa Rica

The international Gross Global Happiness Summit is seeking leaders with bold ideas on happiness and wellbeing to shape its 2027 program. The Centre for...

El Salvador’s Fireball Festival Lights Up Nejapa

If you are in El Salvador this weekend and want to see something you will not find anywhere else, head north from San Salvador...

Tourist Guide Dies in Flash Flood on Pérez Zeledón River

A tourist guide died yesterday when a wall of water came down the Río Barú in Pérez Zeledón and caught a group of roughly...

Climate Change Could Dull the Brilliant Blue of Costa Rica’s Morpho Butterflies

One of Costa Rica’s most recognizable butterflies could become a little less brilliant as temperatures rise. A new study found that unusually hot temperatures...

Google Wins Auction for Spirit Airlines’ Massive Data Archive, Raising Privacy Alarms

For all us fun that have flown Spirit to Costa Rica, it was announced that Spirit Airlines has agreed to sell a sprawling trove...

Wildlife Trafficking in Costa Rica Moves onto Social Media

Currently unknown numbers of wild animals are illegally pulled from Costa Rica's forests, rivers and coastlines every year, according to the Attorney General's Office,...
🌴 The Weekly Pura Vida

Costa Rica, Once a Week

The week's top stories, weather & insider tips — delivered every Sunday. One email, zero clutter.

🔒 Free. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Loading…

Latest News from Costa Rica

Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Car Rentals
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Travel