A man sought by authorities in Georgia over alleged cocaine possession was detained in Costa Rica on Monday after US authorities warned that he planned to visit the US Embassy in San José for a procedure, according to Costa Rica’s Ministry of Public Security.
The ministry identified the man only by the name Harwell but said he is of Jamaican origin and a naturalized US citizen. His age was not released. The detention was carried out in a coordinated operation involving the Fuerza Pública, the Immigration Police and US authorities, the ministry said. Officials did not disclose where the man was detained or how long he had been in Costa Rica.
According to the ministry, the case in Georgia stems from an incident on June 24, 2009, in DeKalb County, which includes part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. The man is wanted in connection with alleged cocaine possession arising from that incident. Costa Rican authorities also determined that the man was here under irregular immigration status. He was transferred to the Temporary Detention Center for Foreigners in Irregular Status in Heredia, where foreign nationals are held while their legal situation is resolved.
Proceedings toward his return to the United States are pending. The ministry’s statement did not specify whether he will be extradited at the request of US authorities or removed through immigration channels. The case is the latest in a series of handovers to US justice in recent weeks. Costa Rica handed four suspects to the United States in three days last week, and the US Embassy has publicly credited bilateral cooperation for a run of extraditions linked to drug trafficking cases.
Security cooperation between the two countries has drawn closer attention since President Laura Fernández said that US agencies already operate on Costa Rican soil. The ministry did not detail the current status of the court case in Georgia, and the allegations remain unproven. He remains in custody in Heredia pending the next steps in his case.
