Two drug-chasing boats donated by the United States last November to Costa Rica’s National Coast Guard Service (SNG), have scored a huge victory of drug interdiction recently: six tons of cocaine seized since January of 2019.
The boats were donated by the Government of the US via the Office for Counternarcotics, Citizen Security and Justice of the US Embassy. Christopher Harris, Director of that unit commented, “Costa Rica is one of the most agile allies in the maritime zone of the region and for this reason the donation of these two intercepting boats is a direct reflection of the success of Costa Rica’s National Guard Service and its excellent results.”
The Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) had previously estimated that one kilo of cocaine in Costa Rica has a value of close to $8,000, while in the USA it can cost nearly $35,000. Huge incentive to run drugs.
The Costa Rican Coast Guard, through the help of its US-donated boats, is now able to patrol the full extent of Costa Rica’s Exclusive Economic Zone – all 350 nautical miles, extending into the Pacific Ocean. This is the latest effort to help stem the growing drug trafficking issues Costa Rica is experiencing.
Said Carlos Alvarado Valverde, head of the Costa Rican Institute on Drugs, “We have a serious problem. You’re not only seeing the growth of the internal market for drug consumption, but the youth are increasingly being recruited for the crime of drug trafficking … We’re talking about true national criminal organizations dedicated to this.”
About the Author :
Carol Blair Vaughn has written for Inside Costa Rica and The Costa Rica Star, as well as El
Residente magazine. She grew up in Latin America, traveling with her father Jack Vaughn,
former Assistant Secretary of State for Latin American Affairs, and US Ambassador to Panama
and Colombia. The Star published her book Crazy Jungle Love: Murder, Madness, Money & Monkeys
in 2017, and it is now available for purchase on Amazon as both a paperback and an
The boats were donated by the Government of the US via the Office for Counternarcotics, Citizen Security and Justice of the US Embassy. Christopher Harris, Director of that unit commented, “Costa Rica is one of the most agile allies in the maritime zone of the region and for this reason the donation of these two intercepting boats is a direct reflection of the success of Costa Rica’s National Guard Service and its excellent results.”
The Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) had previously estimated that one kilo of cocaine in Costa Rica has a value of close to $8,000, while in the USA it can cost nearly $35,000. Huge incentive to run drugs.
The Costa Rican Coast Guard, through the help of its US-donated boats, is now able to patrol the full extent of Costa Rica’s Exclusive Economic Zone – all 350 nautical miles, extending into the Pacific Ocean. This is the latest effort to help stem the growing drug trafficking issues Costa Rica is experiencing.
Said Carlos Alvarado Valverde, head of the Costa Rican Institute on Drugs, “We have a serious problem. You’re not only seeing the growth of the internal market for drug consumption, but the youth are increasingly being recruited for the crime of drug trafficking … We’re talking about true national criminal organizations dedicated to this.”
About the Author :
Carol Blair Vaughn has written for Inside Costa Rica and The Costa Rica Star, as well as El
Residente magazine. She grew up in Latin America, traveling with her father Jack Vaughn,
former Assistant Secretary of State for Latin American Affairs, and US Ambassador to Panama
and Colombia. The Star published her book Crazy Jungle Love: Murder, Madness, Money & Monkeys
in 2017, and it is now available for purchase on Amazon as both a paperback and an
