No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeDrug traffickingCosta Rica seizes 4.3 metric tons of cocaine from shipping container

Costa Rica seizes 4.3 metric tons of cocaine from shipping container

Costa Rican authorities seized 4.3 metric tons of cocaine that were hidden in a container with a shipment of ceramic arriving from Colombia, the government reported Sunday.

The drug shipment was detected Saturday in an inspection by the Drug Control Police (PCD) in the Caribbean port of Moín, the Ministry of Public Security said in a statement.

It represents the second-largest drug seizure ever by the PCD.

“In the inspection process carried out by the PCD officers, who located a suspicious container inside the Cala Palma ship, this container carried 173 packages that apparently contained cocaine and which were among the legal cargo of ceramic,” the ministry said in the statement.

The PCD identified 4,329 packages filled with cocaine, each weighing approximately one kilogram.

Costa Rica’s ports have been used by drug gangs to ship drugs abroad, especially to Europe.

In February 2020, the PCD carried out the largest drug seizure in Costa Rica’s history, decommissioning more than  5 metric tons of cocaine from a container at APM Terminals in Moín.

According to the Ministry of Public Security, Costa Rican authorities have seized 10.7 tons of cocaine hidden in containers this year. In 2020, authorities seized 16.2 tons of cocaine.

Central American countries are used as bridges to transport drugs from the producing countries of South America to the markets of the United States and Europe.

The United States provides financial and material support to Costa Rica’s anti-narcotics efforts.

Last month, a U.S. military plane flew nearly 40 metric tons of drugs to North America for destruction because Costa Rica doesn’t have a proper large-scale drug incinerator, authorities reported.

Trending Now

Costa Rica Shaken by a Quake with No Injuries Reported

A strong earthquake struck near Quepos late last night, sending tremors across parts of our country and even into our neighbor Panama. The quake,...

Latin America Questions US Boat Strikes in the Drug War

US military strikes that Washington claims have targeted "narco-terrorists" ferrying drugs to American soil are having little to no impact on Latin America's bustling...

Costa Rica Politics Shaken by Fatal Crash with Eli Feinzaig

A head-on collision on the Bernardo Soto highway in Buenos Aires de Palmares, Alajuela, turned deadly Friday morning, killing Éricka Benavides, advisor to Congressman...

Costa Rica Expat Guide to Creative DIY Home Repairs

My family was recently cleaning up our backyard, tidying up the mass of branches that had been ditched on the property by the local...

Trump Says He Will End US Aid to Colombia as Tensions Spike

United States President Donald Trump on Sunday accused his Colombian counterpart, Gustavo Petro, of tolerating drug production and announced he would end “large-scale payments...

Guatemala’s Prison Escape and Central America Security Risks

Guatemala faces ongoing challenges with gang activity, and recent events highlight how these groups test the system's limits. On October 12, officials announced that...
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