Abandoned Boat Was Used For Drug Trafficking
The policía de control de drogas (PCD), working with the Organismo de Investigacióm Judicial (OIJ) and the Fuerza Pública, announced yesterday that they had confiscated some 1.600 kilos of cocaine off a speed boat off the coast of Guanancaste.

Authorities also said that they had in custody two Colombian nationals who were spotted walking in the Parque Nacional Santa Elena, who first told police that they had been left stranded by "coyotes" - persons they had paid to enter Costa Rica illegally. Authorities did not believe their story and are been suspected of drug trafficking.

Authorities believe the two men abandoned the boat new the beaches of Coloradas and Santa Elena, following a chase in high seas that included the use of a helicopter and airplane by the Ministerio de Seguridad.

The chase was on when Sunday morning a call came to 911 informing of a speed boat with four men on board with problems. The Servicio Nacional de Guardacostas (national coast guard) sent airplane to spot the boat, flying over the ara of Flamingo. Around 8:00am they spotted the boat near Playas del Coco.

Fernanod Berrocal, ministro de Seguridad Pública, in a press conference said that the boat had three 200 horse power engines and was carrying several barrels used to carry fuel. The boat to the beaches of Coloradas and Punta Respingue, near Santa Elena, when the boat was abandoned, as the men on board ran into the mountains. In the boat the PCD found the drugs.

With yesterday's haul, the total amount of drugs confiscated this year to date is 6.891 kilos.