Q COSTA RICA — A coordinated operation between authorities in Costa Rica, the United States, Colombia, and Panama resulted in the capture of two speedboats in the South Pacific and the seizure of 5.4 tons of drugs, as well as the arrest of six suspects, in less than 24 hours.
Costa Rica’s Ministry of Public Security confirmed that this is the second consecutive blow to drug trafficking in the maritime zone, reinforcing regional cooperation in the fight against organized crime.
Public Security Minister Gerald Campos reported that the most recent operation took place when officers from the Special Operations Group (GOPES) of the National Coast Guard Service intercepted a speedboat 145 nautical miles (270 kilometers) southwest of Golfito. The vessel, identified as “ANGEL DEL PACIFICO,” had no registration or flag and was equipped with three 200-horsepower outboard motors.
According to Campos, the operation was made possible thanks to the exchange of intelligence with the Colombian Navy and Panamanian authorities, as well as air support from the U.S. Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATFS). Authorities emphasized the importance of international cooperation in tracking and locating these types of vessels in international waters.
Three Colombian citizens, identified by their surnames—Hidalgo (23 years old, captain), Gálvez (50), and Pertuz (31)—were aboard the boat. They were apprehended while attempting to escape.
The seizure reinforces the result achieved the day earlier, in the early hours of Wednesday, when another boat was intercepted in the South Pacific. After the final count of the cargo, the PCD (Drug Control Police) determined that 2,526 packages of cocaine, with an estimated weight of one kilogram each, comprised a total of 2.5 tons.
The two operations raised the number of people apprehended to six, four of whom are Colombian nationals and two Ecuadorian. The swift response of the security teams prevented the suspects from escaping and allowed for the seizure of all the illicit substances they intended to bring in via the Pacific route.