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Friday, January 29th, 2016  |  USD: Buy 531.29 / Sell 543.92
20 years

Costa Rican authorities carry out 30 coordinated raids to dismantle leadership of San Jose narco gangs

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A suspected leader of a narco gang is taken into custody at his luxury home in Rivera de Belen early Tuesday morning. (MSP Photo)

A suspected leader of a narco gang is taken into custody at his luxury home in Rivera de Belen early Tuesday morning. (MSP Photo)

UPDATE 1: Security minister Gustavo Mata said during a Tuesday morning press conference that a total of 18 suspects were taken into custody during the raids on charges including drug trafficking, money laundering, and murder.  A number of firearms were also seized including eight handguns, a fully automatic AK-47 and several shotguns.  Mata said that the raids were the result of “several months” of planning and that authorities have a “wealth of evidence” against the suspects.  Original breaking news story follows.

October 27th, 2015 (ICR News) In a series of some 30 coordinated raids in the early hours of Tuesday morning, Costa Rica’s Drug Control Police (PCD) aimed to dismantle the leadership of several narco gangs in San Jose and Heredia believed to be related to a growing wave of violence in the capital city in recent months.

 

According to initial reports and information provided by the Ministry of Public Security (MSP), authorities arrested several gang leaders believed to be responsible for ordering the recent assassinations of rivals as part of an ongoing dispute for territory for drug sales in the San Jose districts of Desamparados, Hatillo and Pavas.

 

In just one raid on a luxury home in Rivera de Belen, five luxury vehicles were seized and the owner, a suspected leader of a narco gang was taken into custody.

 

Further details of the raids and arrests should be announced in the coming hours.   (See update above).

 

Security minister Gustavo Mata earlier this month called for immediate action and a change in strategy to combat organized crime in Costa Rica, amidst a growing wave of homicides involving organized drug trafficking gangs this year.

 

 

Authorities seized five luxury vehicles after arrested one suspected gang leader. (MSP Photo)

Authorities seized five luxury vehicles after arrested one suspected gang leader. (MSP Photo)

 

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  • richard schlinder

    Does anyone know what becomes of those vehicles?

    • http://insidecostarica.com/ Timothy Williams

      Yes, in fact. A separate proceeding (apart from the criminal proceedings) is established with the finance court (known as the Financial Crimes Court) for the district in which they are seized, at which time the owner (in this case, the suspected narco gang leader) must demonstrate where the proceeds used to purchase the vehicles came from. If he is unable to establish the (lawful) origin of the proceeds, the vehicles (or other property, including real estate) are auctioned off one (sometimes twice) per year.

      The best source of information about upcoming auctions (subastas) by the Ministry of Public Security (MSP) is to visit Banco Nacional or BCR and simply ask a bank manager when and where the next “subastas de MSP” are to take place. The reason for this is there are sometimes some really good deals for the taking, including real estate, which the banks themselves occasionally buy on the cheap as investments.

      All funds from auctions of items seized from those suspected or convicted of money laundering or drug trafficking are, in theory, used to fund the drug control police (PCD) and related agencies with additional resources and equipment.

      • richard schlinder

        Hay Thanks Tim. Excellent response. Puda vida.

        • http://insidecostarica.com/ Timothy Williams

          One other interesting aspect of this is that technically, the finance court must “prove” that the property was indeed the proceeds of crime, but that “proof” can be established by the inability of the defendant to explain/demonstrate where the proceeds to purchase the property came from. (I have been asked this before – in the sense that isn’t a defendant before the finance court, in a sense “guilty until proven innocent.) – I can’t answer that question, just explaining the logic used. Pura vida :)

          PS – also, before seizing property, “reasonable suspicion” must be established that the property is the proceed of crime (which is why a criminal case must be established first, even though the cases – the property and the crime – are not in fact part of the same judicial case)

      • http://adullroar.blogspot.com/ A Dull Roar

        I signed up for the likely suspects of said “newsletter,” i.e. publicaciones, revista, boletin and informes y estatisdicas. Are any of those going to have information on the subastas?

        • http://insidecostarica.com/ Timothy Williams

          Yes, if I remember right they are published in the ‘boletin.’

  • Ben

    Just shoot the Narco in public and no more problems.

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