Two Costa Rican nationals, including a former government official, have been extradited to the United States to face drug trafficking charges in the Eastern District of Texas, U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs announced on March 23.
The extradition is significant as it marks the first time Costa Rica has sent its own citizens to the United States for prosecution since a constitutional reform in May 2025 allowed such actions for drug trafficking offenses. The development reflects ongoing efforts by both countries to address international narcotics operations.
Celso Manuel Gamboa Sanchez, age 49 and a former judge and Minister of Public Security in Costa Rica, and Edwin Danney Lopez-Vega, also 49, were both arrested by Costa Rican police on June 23, 2025. Gamboa Sanchez is accused of facilitating large shipments of cocaine from Colombia through Costa Rica destined for the United States and Europe. He was indicted on July 9, 2025 for conspiring with other traffickers to manufacture and distribute significant quantities of cocaine through international routes. Lopez-Vega faces separate charges filed on June 11, 2025 alleging his involvement in an extensive conspiracy dating back to at least 2008 that moved cocaine across multiple countries throughout South, Central, and North America.
Both defendants are scheduled for initial appearances in federal court in Texas on March 24. If convicted, they could face life sentences in federal prison.
The cases are part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established under Executive Order 14159 aimed at combating criminal cartels and transnational organizations operating within and beyond U.S. borders. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division along with FBI agents and DEA’s San Jose Country Office are leading investigations; Assistant U.S. Attorney Wes Wynne is prosecuting.
U.S authorities thanked their counterparts in Costa Rica as well as several American agencies including the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs for their cooperation during arrests and extraditions. Officials remind that indictments are not evidence of guilt; all defendants remain presumed innocent until proven guilty.
