In Central America, Costa Rica carried out its first-ever extradition of nationals to the United States. Former criminal court magistrate Celso Gamboa Sánchez and convicted felon Edwin López Vega, alias “Pecho de Rata,” were flown to Texas on Friday to face drug trafficking charges. The operation involved Air Surveillance, Prison Police, and the Special Tactical Response Service working in concert to ensure a secure transfer from La Reforma prison.
The extradition marks a significant shift for a country that has historically resisted sending its citizens abroad for trial, signaling a new era in Costa Rica’s cooperation with US anti-narcotics efforts.