Costa Rica sends top drug trafficker, fellow cartel member to U.S.
Summary
Costa Rica sent two top drug traffickers, Gilbert Bell Fernandez and Gabriel Lozano Bonilla, to the United States to face trial for cocaine trafficking. Both are linked to a Colombian cartel and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and were extradited under tight security.Key Facts
- Gilbert Bell Fernandez, called "Macho Coca," is considered one of Costa Rica’s biggest drug traffickers.
- Gabriel Lozano Bonilla, called "Compadre," is a Colombian linked to liquid cocaine shipments to Europe and Asia.
- Both men are connected to the Gulf Clan, a Colombian cartel labeled a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S.
- Costa Rica extradited them from Juan Santa Maria International Airport to New York for federal trial.
- Bell Fernandez said he had been mistreated in prison and thanked the U.S. for his extradition.
- Costa Rica’s President Laura Fernandez supports strong action against drug trafficking.
- Since 2025, constitutional changes in Costa Rica have allowed extraditions of suspected criminals to the U.S.
- Costa Rica has become a key transit point for drug trafficking in Central America, increasing local violence.
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