Q COSTARICA — Police authorities arrested a Palestinian man on Monday morning, Jun 22, in Desamparados de Alajuela, who is believed to have ties to Hamas, an organization considered a terrorist by Israel, the United States, the European Union, and other countries.
The arrest occurred during a roadside police checkpoint operation involving the Immigration Police, Traffic Police, the Directorate of Intelligence and National Security (DIS), and the OIJ’s Unidad Especial de Intervención (UEI)—Special Intervention Unit.
The detainee, identified only by the surname Abuawad, entered Costa Rica last month. According to official information, the man was not subject to any international alerts at the time of his entry into the country.
The government indicated that the investigation carried out by the DIS, as well as the exchange of information between institutions, allowed them to locate and arrest this individual.
“The DIS immediately forwarded the intelligence report to Immigration, which allowed for his location and the immediate execution of immigration measures,” said DIS Director Pablo Martínez Bertozzi.
Following his arrest, Abuawad was transferred to the Central Region Detention Center, located in Los Lagos de Heredia, where he will remain in custody while Immigration initiates the deportation process.
Authorities did not specify the type of connection they attribute to the detainee with Hamas, nor did they clarify whether it is an operational, financial, logistical, propaganda, or other type of relationship. They also did not disclose to which country he will be deported.
President Laura Fernández Delgado stated that she instructed the DIS director to keep the man in custody, in coordination with the Immigration Police, “under the highest security standards” while the deportation is carried out.
Martínez Bertozzi maintained that the DIS has the tools to identify and anticipate threats to national security.
I’m sending them a very clear message: we know how they operate and we’re closely monitoring their movements. Everything leaves a trace, and the DIS knows how to find it.”
Hamas is recognized as a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States, the European Union, and other relevant actors in the international community due to its history of attacks and bombings in the Middle East.
The presence of an individual with alleged ties to this group prompted an immediate response from Costa Rican authorities, who acted in concert to prevent risks to national security.