Drug Haul and Fishermen Arrived in Puntarenas
Sunday afternoon, a U.S. Coast Guard ship dropped off the four Costa Ricans and some 150 kilos of cocaine in the hands of Costa Rican officials. A Mexican and Colombian national, along with the rest of the 7.850 kilos of cocaine headed for the United States to stand trial there.

The four Costa Rican fishermen, along with the Mexican and Colombian, were picked up in high seas, some 200 miles off the Isla de Coco, and were part of a drug bust last week by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Costa Rica, for several days, was in negotiations with the United States government over the largest drug haul registered so far in the country.

Costa Rica requested that the confiscate drugs be sent to the U.S. as it could not provide sufficient security for its proper storage. However, it asked for the Costa Rican nationals and a portion of the drugs to used as evidence in trial against the four.

The Mexican and Colombian will be tried in a U.S. court, Costa Rican authorities said.

The Costa Rican fishing boat "Calypso V", owned by a Costa Rican corporation that has an indigent from Desemparados named as president and general manager, was found with cargo, which has Costa Rican authorities worried, as due to the economic situation in the port town of Puntarenas, many fishermen are succumbing to the call for fast profits.

The four men are neighbours and residents of the area known as Barranca.

Residents of Puntarenas say that during the last few weeks a group of Colombians were offering up to ¢5 million colones (us$9.700) to area fishermen to help them haul drugs on the high seas.