U.S., Costa Rica Jointly Seize 3.5 tons of Cocaine
Some 3.500 kilos of cocaine were seized onboard a fishing boat on high seas in a joint operation by the United States and Costa Rica, said the Costa Rican Ministerio de Seguridad Pública Monday.

Four suspected smugglers were arrested, said the statement.

The fishing boat was due to reach the port of Puntarenas on  Monday afternoon, carrying the detainees and the drugs.

Costa Rican boats have been increasingly used for drug trade.

The haul, the largest so far in Central American history, was a result of a joint effort by the U.S. and Costa Rican Coast Guard and the Policía de Control de Drogas (PCD) - Costa Rican drug enforcement agency.

The drug was being carried in the Costa Rican boat "Coopepes IV" which is registered to Meneses Rímola.

U.S. authorities estimated that 670 metric tons of cocaine entered the United States during 2005, of which 570 metric tons entered by way of Mexico and Central America. The other 100 metric tons came from the Caribbean and Europe.

The last big haul registered in Costa Rica was back in April 2005 when a fishing boat in the Caribbean coast encountered engine problems and ran aground on Costa Rican shore. Police seized 2.548 kilos of cocaine in that incident and arrested four men: a Costa Rican, a Nicaraguan, a Colombian and an American.

The United States and Costa Rica signed a treaty in 1998 on joint air and sea patrols to crack down on drug smuggling.