No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsCrimeCosta Rica’s Congress Expands Organized Crime Probe, Summons Ex-Presidents

Costa Rica’s Congress Expands Organized Crime Probe, Summons Ex-Presidents

Costa Rica’s Legislative Assembly is intensifying its investigation into alleged links between public officials and organized crime. Earlier today, the Special Permanent Commission on Security and Drug Trafficking voted unanimously to summon former presidents Laura Chinchilla (2010–2014) and Luis Guillermo Solís (2014–2018) to testify before Congress regarding their potential connections to Celso Gamboa, a former high-ranking security official now facing extradition.

Gamboa, who served as Vice Minister of Security under Chinchilla and later as Minister under Solís, is currently in provisional detention after a San José court approved a U.S. extradition request on June 24. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has linked Gamboa to suspected drug trafficking networks, prompting heightened scrutiny of his political and institutional ties.

Lawmakers on the commission say both ex-presidents must clarify the nature of their relationships with Gamboa, particularly whether political appointments or endorsements may have facilitated criminal activity. The goal, they said, is to determine whether Gamboa’s rise to power was enabled by institutional blind spots or political protection.

In addition to Chinchilla and Solís, several other current and former senior officials will be called to testify, including Minister of Security Mario Zamora, Minister of Justice and Peace Gerald Campos, Costa Rican Drug Institute director Fernando Ramírez, Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) director Rándall Zúñiga, Supreme Court Justice Patricia Solano, and former Attorney General Jorge Chavarría.

Hearing dates have not yet been confirmed but are expected to take place in the coming weeks. The inquiry comes amid growing concerns over the infiltration of drug trafficking networks into Costa Rica’s political and judicial systems. Gamboa’s extensive career in law enforcement, the judiciary, and politics has made the case particularly high-profile.

Authorities are also pursuing a related case involving Edwin López Vega, alias “Pecho de Rata,” a Costa Rican national currently held in provisional detention and also wanted for extradition to the United States on drug trafficking charges.

With two extradition cases now involving prominent figures, the Assembly’s investigation marks one of the most significant efforts to address allegations of organized crime influence within the Costa Rican government in recent years.

Trending Now

UN Experts Warn of Possible Nicaraguan Government Role in Exile’s Murder in Costa Rica

A team of UN human rights experts said Tuesday that involvement by the Nicaraguan government in the killing of retired major Roberto Samcam cannot...

Costa Rica Dismantles Human Trafficking Ring Linked to Tren de Aragua

Costa Rican authorities dismantled a human trafficking network linked to the criminal gang Tren de Aragua, which financed the travel of women from Venezuela...

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,...

Starbucks Expands in Guanacaste with New Store Opening in Tamarindo

Starbucks continues to strengthen its presence in Costa Rica with the opening of its second store in the province of Guanacaste, specifically in Tamarindo....

Rural Costa Rica Adopts Ecosystem-Based Approach to Climate Resilience

As climate change intensifies, rural communities across Costa Rica are taking concrete steps to reduce risks and adapt to increasing climate pressures. With support...
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