Q COSTARICA — In a press release, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) highlighted the extradition from Costa Rica of former judge Celso Gamboa and Edwin López, alias “Pecho de Rata” (Rat Chest).
Both are in Texas, United States, to face charges of international drug trafficking.
In the official statement released on Monday, the DOJ emphasizes that Gamboa held important positions in public service, including within the judiciary, and that, despite this, he “allegedly facilitated the shipment of cocaine not only to the United States, but also to Europe.”
“Prior to his arrest, Gamboa Sánchez was a major drug trafficker in Costa Rica and had facilitated the shipment of cocaine worth tens of millions of dollars from Colombia, through Costa Rica, to the United States and Europe,” the statement indicates.
Gamboa served as Vice Minister and Minister of Justice, Prosecutor of Limón and Deputy Prosecutor of Costa Rica, anti-drug czar, head of the DIS (Directorate of Intelligence and Security), and finally, magistrate of the Third Chamber of the Supreme Court under the administrations of Laura Chinchilla and Luis Guillermo Solís.
The DOJ also noted that Gamboa and López are the first Costa Rican citizens extradited to the United States.
Both Gamboa and the Lopez face sentences of less than 50 years in prison, after Costa Rica stipulated to U.S. authorities that the penalties not exceed those permitted by the national Penal Code.
Last Friday, Gamboa and Lopez became the first Costa Ricans to be extradited following a reform passed by Costa Rica’s legislature in May 2025.