They arrest Celso Gamboa, former minister of Costa Rica requested in the USA for drug trafficking
Celso Gamboa, who led the Directorate of Intelligence and National Security, would be the second Costa Rican to be subject to extradition
The Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) of Costa Rica arrested former magistrate Celso Gamboa Sanchez at the request of the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), with the aim of extraditing him to Dallas, Texas, where he would face charges of international drug trafficking.
The arrest was confirmed by the director of the OIJ, Randall Zuniga, through his X account, who indicated that the arrest took place at a property located in Escazu, San Jose, where Gamboa was in the company of a client. The formal request was presented by the United States Embassy to the Criminal Court of the First Judicial Circuit of San Jose, which authorized the arrest.
The crime referred to in the request is international drug trafficking. The order comes from a court in Dallas, Texas, Zuniga said. The official added that a judicial process will now be opened in which the detainee will be informed of the charges against him and will be allowed to present his defense.
Zuniga described the event as an unprecedented event. "It's quite a milestone to become the second Costa Rican to be subject to extradition. We deserve a better country," he wrote on his X account, referring to the recent constitutional reform that allows the extradition of national citizens.
Gamboa's arrest has generated great public impact due to his prominent career in the judicial and political spheres. He has held high-profile positions such as Deputy Minister of Public Security (2011–2014), head of the Directorate of Intelligence and National Security (DIS), deputy attorney general (2015–2016), and magistrate of the Third Chamber of the Judiciary, the country's highest criminal court, since February 2016.
His career in the judiciary ended abruptly in April 2018, when he was removed from office by the Legislative Assembly after it was determined that he had improperly intervened in a process related to a cement importer, as part of the political scandal known as the Cementazo.
Since leaving the Court, Gamboa had been practicing as a litigator. Now, He faces extradition proceedings that could result in his transfer to the United States to face the charges against him. We hope the process is completed and he can face the case in the United States, Zuniga concluded.