The US Treasury Department moved against a Costa Rican drug trafficking ring today sanctioning four individuals and two entities tied to cocaine smuggling and money laundering. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) targeted former security vice minister Celso Gamboa Sánchez, along with Edwin López Vega (known as Pecho de Rata), Alejandro Arias Monge (Diablo), and Alejandro James Wilson (Turesky). They also hit Gamboa’s law firm, Bufete Celso Gamboa & Asociados, and his soccer team, Limón Black Star FC.
Authorities say these people ran operations that funneled cocaine from Colombia through Costa Rica’s ports to the US and Europe, often mixed with fentanyl. “Drug traffickers poison communities and fuel violence by pushing illicit drugs across borders,” said Brian E. Nelson, Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. The sanctions block all US-based assets of those named and ban Americans from dealing with them.
Gamboa, once a high-ranking official, used his government ties to sell details on anti-drug probes to traffickers. He bribed police and port workers to move shipments smoothly, according to OFAC. Investigators link him to laundering money through his San José law office and the second-division soccer club in Limón. Costa Rican police arrested Gamboa and López on June 23, following a US extradition request from Dallas, Texas, for international drug trafficking charges.
The Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ) called the arrest a milestone, marking only the second time a Costa Rican faces extradition on such charges. OIJ Director General noted that the DEA had tipped them off, leading to Gamboa’s detention. Local media reported that Gamboa’s network reached deep into public offices, complicating any domestic prosecution. Instead, Costa Rican prosecutors worked with the DEA since at least 2022 to build the case.
James Wilson, alias Turesky, partnered with Gamboa to smuggle loads through the Moín seaport in Limón province. They relied on corrupt officials to avoid detection. Arias Monge, or Diablo, stands out as Costa Rica’s top fugitive, wanted for drug deals, robberies, and killings in the same area.
OFAC claims he dodged capture thanks to leaks from Gamboa’s contacts. The US State Department offers up to $500,000 for tips leading to Arias’s arrest under its Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program.
López Vega, Pecho de Rata, supplied drugs to Arias and teamed up with Gamboa and James on transports. He also helped wash profits. Reports from Costa Rican outlets like CRHoy and La Nación add that Gamboa worked with another figure, Gilbert Bell Fernández (Macho Coca), though Macho Coca did not make the sanctions list this time.
The DEA described the sanctions as the end of a joint probe with Costa Rica’s Fiscalía General. They paint Costa Rica as a key transit hub for South American cocaine heading north, with rising violence in places like Limón tied to these groups. One report from Teletica highlighted how the moves freeze any US holdings, including properties, accounts, and vehicles, and warn that foreign banks or firms linked to the sanctioned could face penalties too.
These actions fall under Executive Order 14059, aimed at curbing global drug spread. OFAC stressed that helping the named parties could trigger secondary sanctions, cutting off access to US markets. In Costa Rica, the news sparked reactions from officials and media. The Ministerio Público confirmed the updates to the OFAC list, noting close ties with US agencies.
Gamboa’s fall from grace shocks many. He served as vice minister of public security before scandals pushed him out. Now, facing extradition, he sits in custody while Arias remains at large. López joined him in arrest, but James’s status stays unclear from public records.
This crackdown signals tighter US-Costa Rica cooperation against narco networks. As cocaine flows grow, blending with fentanyl, officials say such steps cut off the money that keeps operations running. For locals in Limón, hit hard by related crime, it offers a glimmer of accountability.
The full list and diagrams of connections appear on the Treasury’s site, showing how Gamboa’s web spanned officials and criminals. Anyone with info on Arias can contact the State Department anonymously for the reward.
As investigations continue, more details may surface on how deep the corruption ran. For now, the sanctions stand as a firm US response to threats crossing borders.
