Officials See ‘Mexicanization’ of Costa Rica After Record-High Drug Murders
https://www.milenio.com/internacional/ven-mexicanizacion-de-costa-rica-por-el-narcotrafico
Translated excerpt:
The influence of Mexican criminal gangs and the increase in cocaine production in Colombia following the 2016 peace agreements have led to a surge in murders in Costa Rica. These murders threaten to reach their highest levels in history by the end 2023, according to data provided by the Minister of Security of Costa. For decades, Costa Rica had been recognized as an oasis of safety in the region.
Last. year Costa Rica had 656 homicides. It now has a homicide approximately every 10 hours. In the first half of 2023 alone, the official data shows that the number of murders has already surpassed that of the first half of the previous year by 42 percent.
“We are witnessing a ‘Mexicanization’ of crime...” said security expert Mario Zamora in an interview with Reuters. This increase in drug violence is a concern for Costa Rican citizens and politicians because it negatively impacts the country’s reputation given its heavy reliance on tourism.
The official explained that ten years ago, when the spiral of violence began, many of the gruesome criminal practices like torture and brazen displays of execution, were not present. He believes that these methods were “trained” and copied from Mexican drug cartels.
.....Costa Rica serves as a location to store part of the drug supply before being sent to the United States and Europe for further distribution.
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Most of the murders are between gangs but marking Costa Rica off as a tourist place because the killing will spill over. FJB’s foreign policy is nonexistant also.
Most of the murders are between gangs but marking Costa Rica off as a tourist place because the killing will spill over. FJB’s foreign policy is nonexistant also.
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really sorry to hear this about costa rica.
I thought of it as more of a “safe zone”. too bad
DEA Planning for Early 2024 Extradition of Rafael Caro Quintero
https://www.reforma.com/espera-dea-extradicion-de-caro-quintero-en-2024/ar2645773
Translated excerpt:
The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) expects the extradition of Rafael Caro Quintero from Mexico to occur in early 2024. Caro Quintero is wanted in the US for the 1985 murder of DEA agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena.
DEA official George Papadopoulo told Grupo Reforma that the US government does not expect for the extradition to delay past 2024.
“Rafael Caro Quintero is currently awaiting extradition from Mexico. We hope that he will be extradited early next year so that he can face justice here in the United States,” Papadopoulos said.
The US has already formally requested the extradition of Caro Quintero for the murder of Camarena, in addition to drug trafficking and money laundering.
When Caro Quintero was rearrested on July 15, 2022 after being a fugitive since 2013, the US Attorney General, Merrick Garland, requested for the immediate extradition of Caro Quintero.
Between 2013 and 2022, the US government revealed to The Washington Post that there were at least 12 failed attempts to apprehend Caro Quintero.
A few days after Caro Quintero was captured, Garland called Mexican Attorney General Alejandro Gertz. The details of what they discussed was not disclosed to the public, but Grupo Reforma said that both Mexico and the US had agreed to “work in unison” to complete the extradition process.
Caro Quintero has issued dozens of motions to cancel his arrest warrants and to prevent his extradition to the US. In his latest attempt, his defense team sought to take his case up to the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN), Mexico’s highest federal court system.