Costa Rica Sends Two Suspected Drug Couriers to U.S. for New York Trial

Costa Rica's attorney general announced that two men suspected of international drug smuggling have been extradited to the United States for trial in a New York federal court. The individuals are Gilbert Bell Fernandez, nicknamed Macho Coca, and Gabriel Lozano, known as Compadre. Fernandez, who was placed under U.S. sanctions in 2023 for his alleged role in converting Costa Rica into a key narcotics transit hub, had been detained in San Jose since 2024 on unrelated fuel-theft charges.

Lozano, a Colombian who obtained Costa Rican citizenship, is accused of funneling cocaine from South America through Costa Rica to markets farther north. Carlo Diaz said the extraditions resulted from joint cooperation with U.S. and international partners in the fight against transnational crime. The move follows a 2025 amendment that permits the extradition of Costa Rican nationals on drug-trafficking or terrorism accusations, with the first such cases occurring in March. Authorities report that roughly 20 Costa Rican suspects and a comparable number of foreign nationals are currently subject to extradition processes.