COSTA RICA NEWS – The Guardacostas (Coast Guard) reports recovering 1.5 tons of marijuana that officials say was thrown into the sea by smugglers being chased in the Caribbean after a tip from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The ministerio de Seguridad Publica (MSP) says the incident happened early Friday and the suspect boat escaped its Costa Rican pursuers.
MSP Minister Celso Gamboa said Saturday that the marijuana appeared to have come from Jamaica and that the smugglers were headed for Panama. He says the DEA alerted Costa Rica to the suspicious vessel.
Costa Rica’s government says joint anti-drug efforts with the U.S. have led to the seizure of nearly 20 tons of cocaine and 3 tons of compressed marijuana so far this year.
