Costa Rica’s National Coast Guard Service confirmed the seizure, which was made through joint patrolling with the United States.[1] Officers seized about two and a half tonnes of drugs about 163 kilometres offshore from Golfo Dulce on the southern Pacific coast.[1] The boat was carrying 2,024 packages of marijuana and 485 packages of cocaine of about one kilogram each, apparently of Colombian origin.[1] At the naval base officers counted 2,024 one-kilo packages of marijuana and 485 one-kilo packages of cocaine, for a total of 2,509 kilos of drugs.[2] Two Costa Rican brothers and a Nicaraguan crewed the boat, and all three were detained.[1] The detainees are two Costa Rican brothers surnamed Irias, aged 47 and 31, the elder with a judicial record for drug transport in 2019.[2] The third occupant is a Nicaraguan surnamed Membreño aged 23 who was in the country with irregular migration status.[2]

The interception happened on the previous Sunday, and the sea transfer took more than 15 hours because of weather and distance.[1] The boat was detected on Sunday 204 kilometres northwest of the entrance to Golfo Dulce thanks to flights by a United States maritime patrol aircraft.[2] After the alert, Special Operations Group and Coast Guard officers set out toward the signalled location.[2] The fast boat was about 10 metres long with three 200-horsepower outboard motors.[1] La Nación measured the intercepted vessel at about 10.9 metres, grey with blue, equipped with three 200-horsepower outboard motors.[2] It had no visible name or registration and was driven by the elder of the Irias brothers.[2]

The seized boat, load and detainees were taken to Golfito in the early hours of Monday and placed at the disposal of the Public Ministry and the Drug Control Police.[2] Security Minister Mario Zamora said the type of drug found indicated it was meant to be sold in Costa Rica.[1] He said the presence of marijuana suggested its destination was the country and the crew composition showed it was coming for the domestic market.[2]