Q COSTARICA — It was 8:53 am when the Beechcraft Super King Air 350 took off from the Juan Santamaria International Airport in San José (SJO), with the two extraditables, Celso Gamboa Sanchez and Edwin Lopez Vega, the first two Costa Ricans to be extradited to the United States on international drug trafficking charges.
At 4:45 a.m., the two men began their transfer from La Reforma prison. Under tight security, they were moved in under seven minutes to Base 2 at the airport, where they underwent the handover protocols to U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents for the flight to Texas.
The historic event was televised live from start to finish.
This was an unprecedented event that shook the institutional foundations of Costa Rica and should embarrass the political class and law enforcement authorities.
The official handover, with the symbolic exchange of handcuffs, took place at 8:35 a.m. after four hours of proceedings. From this moment on, Gamboa’s legal fate depends on the judicial authorities of the United States, not Costa Rica.
The transfer was carried out on a DEA plane, marking a milestone in Costa Rica’s judicial history, as it is the first time a Costa Rican, in particular of such high political and judicial profile, has been sent to another country to face justice for drug trafficking.
Edwin López Vega, alias “Pecho de Rata” (Rat’s Chest), is notable for being the second person extradited in an operation that highlights increasing global efforts to combat the rise of organized crime in the region.
The extradition was carried out after a major security operation that included snipers, helicopters, two armored vehicles (known as “Beasts“) donated by the U.S. in 2018, and more than 100 national and international agents.
Gamboa’s figure is not insignificant. For years, his name was linked to the highest spheres of power in Costa Rica.
He held virtually every position he wanted within the state apparatus, from deputy prosecutor in several provinces to deputy minister, Minister of Security, director of Costa Rica’s intelligence service, and, finally, magistrate of the Supreme Court.
At certain points in his career, he was even seen as a potential presidential candidate, which makes his fall from grace all the more shocking.
His career includes stints in the administrations of Laura Chinchilla (2010-2014) and Luis Guillermo Solís (2014-2018), as well as his appointment as a magistrate in 2016 by the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica.
Gamboa’s downfall began years ago when his name surfaced in connection with the Cementazo scandal. In 2017, he was suspended and subsequently, in 2018, removed from his position as a magistrate.
However, what at the time seemed like a case of administrative corruption has now escalated to a much more serious scenario: international accusations of drug trafficking.
In this case, DEA agents made contact with Gamboa, and he agreed to allegedly bring drugs into the United States through Costa Rica, claiming that he had contacts at all levels.
Constitutional Reform
The historic extradition of Gamboa and Lopez was made possible by a constitutional reform approved by the current government in May 2025, which was championed in the Legislative Assembly by Pilar Cisneros.
Previously, the extradition of foreigners wanted in other countries was permitted, but not that of Costa Rican citizens.
With this change, it is now possible to extradite Costa Rican nationals to face justice in other countries.
The only conditions imposed by the authorities are that the prison sentence not exceed 50 years, in accordance with the limits established by Costa Rican law, and that they not be subjected to inhumane treatment.
The extradition of Gamboa and Lopez was finalized after a nine-month legal process. Facing the same fate are some 20 other Costa Ricans currently in judicial custody.