Drug Traffickers Intercepted Off Costa Rica's Coast with Large Cocaine Shipment
National Coast Guard seizes 1.2 tons of cocaine and apprehends three Nicaraguan nationals in recent operations.
On March 30, 2025, the National Coast Guard of Costa Rica intercepted a fast vessel approximately 40 nautical miles (64 kilometers) from Cabo Matapalo carrying 1.2 tons of cocaine and 44.8 kilograms of marijuana.
Three men of Nicaraguan nationality, identified as Zelaya, López, and Salaya, were aboard the ship and have since been handed over to the Public Ministry, according to the Ministry of Public Security.
The Coast Guard located the vessel following an alert from a U.S. radar aircraft that warned of the presence of a suspicious ship in Costa Rican waters.
In response to the alert, aerial surveillance and Coast Guard units were deployed swiftly to intercept the boat.
As authorities approached, the crew reportedly ignored commands to stop and attempted to dispose of several drug-filled packages overboard.
After a one-hour operation, all three suspects were detained, and the packages thrown into the sea were subsequently recovered and confiscated.
In another related case, six foreign individuals will stand trial in Costa Rica, suspected of attempting to bring a significant shipment of cocaine into the country.
The group consists of five Nicaraguans from Bluefields—Lebon Waggon, Cooper McField, Gayle Wagon, Downs Edder, and Taylor Welton—and one Colombian national, Robledo Barba.
The trial is scheduled to start on March 31 and is expected to conclude on April 2.
This group was apprehended during the early hours of March 7, 2024, aboard a nameless, unregistered, and flagged 40-foot vessel located 30 kilometers from Moín. Authorities seized 2.5 tons of cocaine, distributed across 88 packages, allegedly intended for either the United States or Europe.
The Ministry of Public Security has indicated that the shipment, valued at approximately $10 million, was acquired in Colombia before being transported by sea back to Costa Rica.
According to reports, the men had embarked on their journey across the Caribbean Sea, carrying the illicit cargo from Colombia.
The escalating presence of drug trafficking activities in the region continues to pose significant challenges for local authorities as they intensify efforts to combat narcotics smuggling.
Three men of Nicaraguan nationality, identified as Zelaya, López, and Salaya, were aboard the ship and have since been handed over to the Public Ministry, according to the Ministry of Public Security.
The Coast Guard located the vessel following an alert from a U.S. radar aircraft that warned of the presence of a suspicious ship in Costa Rican waters.
In response to the alert, aerial surveillance and Coast Guard units were deployed swiftly to intercept the boat.
As authorities approached, the crew reportedly ignored commands to stop and attempted to dispose of several drug-filled packages overboard.
After a one-hour operation, all three suspects were detained, and the packages thrown into the sea were subsequently recovered and confiscated.
In another related case, six foreign individuals will stand trial in Costa Rica, suspected of attempting to bring a significant shipment of cocaine into the country.
The group consists of five Nicaraguans from Bluefields—Lebon Waggon, Cooper McField, Gayle Wagon, Downs Edder, and Taylor Welton—and one Colombian national, Robledo Barba.
The trial is scheduled to start on March 31 and is expected to conclude on April 2.
This group was apprehended during the early hours of March 7, 2024, aboard a nameless, unregistered, and flagged 40-foot vessel located 30 kilometers from Moín. Authorities seized 2.5 tons of cocaine, distributed across 88 packages, allegedly intended for either the United States or Europe.
The Ministry of Public Security has indicated that the shipment, valued at approximately $10 million, was acquired in Colombia before being transported by sea back to Costa Rica.
According to reports, the men had embarked on their journey across the Caribbean Sea, carrying the illicit cargo from Colombia.
The escalating presence of drug trafficking activities in the region continues to pose significant challenges for local authorities as they intensify efforts to combat narcotics smuggling.
