joint patrols

Sixteen new vehicles were donated to the Ministry of Justice by the United States Embassy.

The U.S. Coast Guard will increase efforts to fight illegal fishing in Central and South America, the State Department announced. 

The Public Security Ministry (MSP) on Thursday commemorated the delivery of two new boats that were donated to the Coast Guard by the United States.c

The Air Surveillance Service (SVA) of Costa Rica's Public Security Ministry on Monday unveiled a new airplane meant to assist in anti-drug operations. 

The embassy's donation will fund operations of the ministry's Air Surveillance Service – in particular, the special missions carried out using an aircraft seized from two drug smugglers.

A brief stopover by five U.S. military helicopters in Costa Rica over the weekend drew the ire of lawmakers who claimed the landing violated Costa Rica's sovereignty. The executive and legislative branches of government have been disputing the legality of U.S. military vessels in Costa Rica since both countries signed a joint-patrol agreement in 1999.

Coast Guard vessels from both countries detained two fishing boats transporting drugs and another transporting fuel barrels, suspected of supplying smuggling boats.

Cocaine seems to be falling from the sky in Costa Rica, as cops in the past 24 hours have seized more than a metric ton of cocaine in separate operations throughout the country.

The Costa Rican Coast Guard seized over 4 metric tons of cocaine off the Pacific coast on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, according to Public Security Minister Celso Gamboa, in what is likely the largest cocaine seizure ever in Costa Rica.

Lawmakers on Monday evening voted to extend permission to the U.S. Coast Guard to participate in joint drug patrols in Costa Rican waters and to dock in the country's ports.