Q COSTARICA — While the jet is fueling up, so to speak, Celso Gamboa is making one last attempt to avoid being sent to the United States by threatening to reveal damaging information once he arrives.
From the La Reforma prison, where is being held pending his extradition, Gamboa gave an interview to Stefanía Colombari, a journalist from Teletica’s Siete Días program, in which he defended his innocence, questioned the legality of the evidence against him, and assured that he would cooperate with U.S. authorities, especially by providing information about some people who are currently members of the Executive Branch.
“There are others who are eroding Costa Rican institutions, and unfortunately, they are currently in the Executive Branch,” Gamboa said, adding, when the reporter asked again if he would provide that information in the United States, “of course.”
Gamboa stated in the interview: “Yes, if I have to talk about some things, I will talk about them with the American authorities, but about those people, not about criminal groups.”
Gamboa also stated that his main challenge will be facing a trial under the Common Law legal system in the U.S., which differs from the Germanic model applied in Latin America.
“What I intend to do is go to the United States, win the trial, and be back here (in Costa Rica) for December with my family,” he affirmed.
The Indictment
The indictment against Gamboa details that on September 20, 2023, he had a conversation—allegedly recorded—with two confidential sources, in which he supposedly provided information on how to transport cocaine through Costa Rica. The document attributes to him the phrase: “The receipt of cocaine is 100% guaranteed.”
Gamboa questioned the validity of this evidence and maintained that the recording was not authorized by a court in either Costa Rica or the United States.
“Which Costa Rican judge authorized this communication to be recorded? None. Which U.S. judge authorized it? None,” he stated.
However, he acknowledged having discussed the ease with which drugs enter the country, although he denied having uttered the exact phrase attributed to him in the indictment.
Rejects links to criminal organizations
The former judge also rejected the links that, according to the U.S. prosecution, connect him to criminal organizations and the Limón Black Star soccer team as an alleged money laundering scheme. He asserted that in previous investigations in Costa Rica, he was questioned about money laundering, drug trafficking, and even homicide, without any connections being established that led to convictions.
Regarding the witnesses against him, he claimed they were confidential informants seeking reduced sentences in the United States.
“Not a single gram of cocaine was seized, not a single dollar that I didn’t account for,” he stated.
During the interview, Gamboa addressed questions about his relationship with individuals publicly linked to drug trafficking cases. He argued that, as a criminal defense attorney specializing in organized crime, he has represented numerous defendants and that his professional practice does not constitute a crime.
He also addressed his time in prison, where he claimed to be living with people he described as “valuable.” He stated that he was assigned to that module by prison authorities.
When asked about the impact of his case on the credibility of the institutions he represented—including the Judiciary and the Ministry of Security—he denied that any institutional damage stemmed from his legal situation.
“There are people who should be in jail with me.”
Gamboa also stated that there are people in positions of power who should be in prison. He said that, if necessary, he will provide information to U.S. authorities.
“There are people who shouldn’t be where they are, there are people who should be in jail with me. (…) Of course, I’m going to give information,” he declared.
While his legal future is being decided, Gamboa maintains that he will return to the country after proving his innocence. “I’m not going to wait for the wind to blow in my favor; I am the wind,” he stated.
The process continues, and it will be the justice system—in Costa Rica and eventually in the United States—that determines his guilt or innocence.
Extradition and the Legal Process
Gamboa’s extradition to the United States represents a milestone in the implementation of the constitutional reform that, in 2025, allowed Costa Rican citizens to be extradited to face charges for serious crimes, including those related to drug trafficking. The Attorney General of Costa Rica, Carlo Díaz, has stated that Gamboa’s extradition sends a “very important message against organized crime and drug trafficking,” given the transnational nature of the case and the profile of the accused.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has based its case on wiretaps, testimony from undercover informants, and court documents allegedly provided by both the DEA and the U.S. government. These materials describe not only the planning and execution of cocaine trafficking routes, but also the alleged use of political influence and government contacts to shield the operation from state scrutiny.
Part of that evidence includes meetings between Gamboa and two drug traffickers—who acted as partners in the investigated organization—in which he allegedly emphasized his knowledge of and support for the government in facilitating the arrival of shipments. One of Gamboa’s partners is Edwin López Vega, alias “Pecho de Rata,” who is also facing extradition.
Gamboa is just hours away from being extradited to the United States, as confirmed by Costa Rican authorities, who are awaiting a single document to carry out the historic transfer on a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) plane.