Two well-known Costa Rican concert producers were among 18 people arrested Wednesday in a money laundering investigation into whether an alleged drug trafficking organization used concerts and entertainment events to launder its proceeds. Agents from the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) and the Public Prosecutor’s Office detained producers Don Stockwell and Hugo Barboza during early-morning raids tied to an investigation known as the “Exodus Case.”
The arrests were confirmed by Michael Soto, acting director of the OIJ, and Attorney General Carlo DÃaz. Investigators are examining whether money from a criminal group allegedly led by Edwin Vargas GarcÃa, known as “Sobrino,” was put into concerts and other events to hide where it came from. According to Soto, Vargas allegedly invested more than $850,000 in concerts held in 2024 and 2025.
Authorities carried out 22 raids across Costa Rica beginning around 4 a.m. Stockwell was arrested at a property in Santa Ana, while Barboza was detained at an apartment tower in Tibás. Barboza’s wife was among the 18 people taken into custody, according to authorities. Agents also seized several vehicles and firearms during the operation.
Soto declined to identify the artists who performed at the concerts under investigation. He said they have no connection to the case, and authorities have given no indication that any performer knew where the money came from or took part in the alleged scheme. The Exodus Case expands an earlier investigation into Vargas, known as “Operation Granero.” Vargas was arrested in Granadilla de Curridabat in January 2025 after a pursuit involving the OIJ’s Special Tactical Response Service (SERT), and he remains in custody in that case.
During that arrest, authorities seized â‚¡10 million (about $20,000) in cash, firearms, and a gold chain they valued at about â‚¡100 million (about $200,000). Investigators now say they are focused on the financial network around Vargas and on whether the entertainment industry served as a channel to move and launder drug money. None of the people arrested Wednesday has been charged, and all are presumed innocent.
Those detained will be brought before the Public Prosecutor’s Office, which will determine their legal situation and decide whether to seek precautionary measures such as pretrial detention. The case adds to a series of money laundering investigations in Costa Rica in recent years that have traced alleged drug proceeds into legitimate businesses, from real estate and car dealerships to cattle ranches and lottery outlets.
