Q COSTARICA — Costa Rica has launched a joint investigation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to clarify the circumstances behind the seizure of 1,312 kilograms of cocaine in Nicaragua, announced days ago by the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo.
The case comes amid official Costa Rican skepticism and was described by Public Security Minister Mario Zamora as “outside the normal parameters” of anti-drug operations in the region, according to a report on the regional news portal Centroamérica360.
As Zamora explained, the investigation seeks to determine how a shipment of such magnitude managed to cross the Peñas Blancas border crossing without being detected by Costa Rican controls.
Zamora added that the situation is “unusual and out of the ordinary.” The investigation, supported by the DEA, focuses on reconstructing the drug route and determining whether there were irregularities in the border protocols implemented by the authorities of Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
The complexity of the case is compounded by the fact that, according to local reports, the seizure led to the arrest of a Guatemalan citizen who allegedly gave unusually calm statements after his arrest.
This has raised suspicions in Costa Rica, especially given the apparent lack of a prior investigation by Nicaraguan authorities, a factor that does not correspond to the historical patterns of drug trafficking operations in the Central American region.
Costa Rica Distrusts Nicaragua’s Official Version and Reinforces Investigation
Costa Rican authorities have avoided issuing preliminary conclusions, emphasizing that they will only comment after all ongoing procedures are completed, according to the publication Centroamérica360.
Zamora emphasized that the government’s priority is to verify the accuracy of the information provided by Nicaraguan authorities; therefore, he personally went to the border to examine the procedures and gather information about the transit of the container involved.
The seizure was announced in an area considered a “key corridor for drug trafficking to North America,” highlighting the importance of international cooperation and coordination among the countries involved.
In this context, the joint investigation with the DEA seeks not only to identify potential failures in controls but also to clarify whether the case stems from still unknown circumstances or political motivations from the Ortega-Murillo regime.
The gravity of the situation lies in the volume seized—more than a ton of cocaine—and the apparent ease with which the illegal transit occurred, the main reason for the concern expressed by the Costa Rican government regarding the discrepancy with typical drug seizure patterns in Central America.
The Seizure and Nicaragua’s Version
On March 30, Nicaraguan authorities reported the seizure of 1,312 kilograms of cocaine on Sunday, March 29, at 6:00 p.m. at the Peñas Blancas border crossing with Costa Rica. The operation resulted in the arrest of Guatemalan citizen Juan José Ríos Trujillo, according to a statement released by the National Police.
Read more: Trucker arrested with suspected drugs in Nicaragua claims “scanners” in Costa Rica are a joke
The seizure, according to the police version, occurred when the drugs were found in 1,057 packages hidden in kraft paper rolls inside a heavy cargo truck that entered Nicaragua from Costa Rica and was destined for Guatemala. Field tests confirmed the presence of cocaine, according to the same source.
The detainee told authorities that he had been hired by Henry Sáenz García to transport tools from Mexico to Costa Rica, receiving US$1,800 for the operation. He also indicated that, after making the delivery in San José, Costa Rica, on March 26, he picked up 20 rolls of kraft paper from a warehouse in Calle Blancos, destined for Santa Lucía Milpas Altas, Sacatepéquez, Guatemala. The rolls were consigned to a warehouse belonging to a person identified only as “Luis,” according to reports.
According to statements collected by Nicaragua’s National Police, part of the route included a border scan in Costa Rica on March 28, which did not detect any irregularities in the shipment. Both the truck, the suspect, and the drugs were turned over to the courts in Nicaragua, the agency stated.
Nicaragua’s National Police announced that the investigation remains active to determine the possible involvement of others in the international drug trafficking case.
Nicaragua, located within one of the main drug trafficking corridors produced in South America and directed to North America, announced it is implementing its “Muro de Contención” (Containment Wall) strategy, which seeks to curb the transit of narcotics and illicit money, with the cooperation of the United States, Mexico, Russia, and neighboring countries in the region.
Article translated and adapted from Infobae.com. Read the original in Spanish here.