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Father and son arrested with $225,000 in cash in Guanacaste

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Police discovered $225,00 in cash in a suitcase, mostly in $20 bills. (Photo courtesy of the MSP)

Police discovered $225,00 in cash in a suitcase, mostly in $20 bills. (Photo courtesy of the MSP)

October 13th, 2014 (InsideCostaRica.com) Police officers arrested three suspects who were in possession of a briefcase containing $225,000 in cash in the canton of La Cruz in Guanacaste on Thursday night.

 

The arrests occurred at a police checkpoint between La Cruz and Jobo.  Officers stopped a vehicle driven by a 51-year-old suspect identified by the last names Lara Medrano.  Also present in the vehicle was the man’s son, identified by the last names Lara Lara, 22, and a third suspect identified by the last names of Valverde Valverde, 44, according to information provided by the Ministry of Public Security (MSP).

 

Upon stopping the vehicle, police officers noticed a briefcase in the back seat, which the suspects refused to open.  Their suspicions raised, officers at the scene called for support from the Drug Control Police (PCD), who along with a prosecutor and a criminal judge opened the briefcase to discover $225,000 in cash, mostly in $20 bills.

 

Both the cash and the suspects’ vehicle were confiscated on suspicion that the funds were related to drug trafficking.

 

Neither the father nor son has a criminal history, according to authorities.  Valverde had a previous charge of assault with a deadly weapon.

 

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  • Chris Thomas

    Police and politicians love when they find money like this so they can steal every cent of it.

  • Larry Worsham

    As most of you are aware, many real estate transactions have envolved cash for many years. What business is it of the police what’s in someone’s briefcase. Many of them contain proprietary information and that’s certainly no one else’s business.

    Ticos consider they have a lot of freedoms but when the police can stop you, without cause, and search your person and property I’d call that a police state.

  • Joe1047

    What exactly are the laws here in CR about the police doing this? Does this mean they can force anyone to open any briefcase or suitcase for that matter if they feel like it? Especially when they are pulled over for doing nothing wrong?

  • Frank Castle

    Young grasshopper,

    When carrying large amounts of money, don’t put it in a briefcase or normal luggage. Come up with something a bit more inventive and be polite to the police. No problems will arise in a normal inspection.

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