Q COSTA RICA — The United States has delivered the final legal guarantees required to proceed with the extradition of the Costa Rican Gilbert Bell Fernández, known as “Macho Coca,” bringing his transfer to New York closer to reality.
The US Embassy in Costa Rica provided these assurances as part of the formal extradition process, which is now advancing toward completion.
Among the main guarantees is the commitment to try him only for the crime for which extradition was granted. Likewise, U.S. authorities assured that they will not seek a life sentence or a term exceeding 50 years in prison, the maximum allowed under Costa Rican law for this type of case.
The documentation also establishes that Bell Fernández will not be subjected to torture and that the procedural guarantees recognized by the national legal system will be respected, including recognition of the time he has spent detained in Costa Rica while his extradition process was being resolved.
Regarding the death penalty, the United States did not make an express commitment not to seek it, because that punishment is not contemplated for the crime attributed to the Costa Rican under U.S. federal criminal law.
Gilbert Bell Fernández is a figure wanted in connection with serious criminal charges, and his extradition represents a significant step in international cooperation against organized crime.
According to the indictment, Gilbert Bell Fernández allegedly led a transnational organization dedicated to the storage, distribution, and export of large shipments of cocaine between March 2022 and August 2023.
The investigation maintains that the group used maritime routes to transport cocaine from South America to Costa Rica, from where it was subsequently shipped to the United States and Europe.
The Costa Rican government is working alongside US authorities to ensure the legal framework and procedures are in place to facilitate the extadition.
This development follows a series of requests and legal actions by the U.S. aimed at extraditing individuals linked to drug trafficking and organized crime networks operating across borders.
The case of “Macho Coca” underscores the ongoing efforts between the two countries to combat illicit activities and bring alleged perpetrators to justice.
With the final guarantees now submitted, if the extradition goes through, “Macho Coca” will become the fourth Costa Rican extradited to the United States under the constitutional reform that allows the extradition of nationals for drug trafficking offenses, after former magistrate Celso Gamboa, Edwin Danney López Vega, and Johnny Angulo, known as “John Cadenas”.
Last week, the Government of Laura Fernández filed a legislative bill for a constitutional reform to expand Article 32 of the Constitution, allowing the extradition of Costa Rican citizens for a wide range of international and organized crimes beyond the current exceptions of drug trafficking and terrorism.