Nurse arrested over 39 g of marijuana hidden in snacks for inmate
Costa Rican prison police arrested a nursing assistant at Limón's Tony Facio Hospital on 29 July 2026 after finding marijuana hidden in a bag of fried snacks he handed to a guarded inmate. A field test confirmed about 35 to 39 grams of marijuana, and the inmate faces a separate disciplinary procedure.
🇨🇷 Hospital Tony Facio, Limón, Limón Province · Costa Rica
A nursing assistant at Limón’s Tony Facio Hospital, identified by the surname
Araya, was arrested on 29 July 2026 on suspicion of trying to smuggle marijuana
to an inmate under guard at the hospital.[1]The prisoner, identified by the
surname Gamboa, was being treated in the hospital’s emergency service for an
apparent fracture of a toe on his left foot.[1]
They sealed the bag again to preserve the evidence and reported the find to the
Limón prosecutor’s office, which ordered Araya’s arrest while agents of the OIJ,
the Judicial Investigation Agency, travelled to the hospital.[1]
Infobae reported that the weight was later given as 39 grams in the judicial
proceedings.[1]CR Hoy also reported 39 grams of marijuana in the snack bag.[2]
The prison police took Araya to the judicial cells, where he was placed at the
disposal of the Public Ministry for a criminal case.[1]The ministry said the
seizure was possible because prison police inspect any food or object handed to
inmates during medical trips.[1]
Photos and video
Marijuana found hidden inside a bag of fried snacks that a nursing assistant tried to hand to a prisoner at the Tony Facio Hospital in Limón. Photo: Ministry of Justice of Costa RicaPhoto details
Every number and detail the sources state, with the sources that state it.
Arrested
1
Cannabis
39 g
Agency type
Police, Prosecutor
Cannabis
Herbal cannabis
Activity
Smuggling
Setting
Prison
Case stage
Under investigation
Sources
Infobaeinfobae.comESAuxiliar de enfermería fue detenido por intentar entregar marihuana oculta en una bolsa de frituras a un reo en hospital de Costa Rica
CR Hoycrhoy.comESEnfermero entregó merienda con droga a preso en hospital
Open questions the AI reported
The Ministry of Justice and some outlets gave about 35 grams, while Infobae and CR Hoy reported 39 grams; the report uses 39 grams and records both figures.
The sources give the arrest date as Wednesday 29 July 2026 but no separate date for any later court step, and no charges, custody ruling or court outcome were reported.
The suspect and the inmate are identified only by their surnames, Araya and Gamboa.
No figure for the value of the marijuana was published, and the news outlets' photos are credited to the Ministry of Justice without a stated licence.
Left out, as its quotation was not found in Teletica: Araya handed the inmate a juice and a bag of fried snacks at about 1:10 p.m. on Wednesday 29 July without permission from the prison police officers guarding him.
Left out, as its quotation was not found in CR Hoy: Officers of the Policía Penitenciaria, the prison police, intercepted the food before it reached the inmate and found a wrapper hidden at the bottom of the snack bag.
Left out, as its quotation was not found in CR Hoy: A field test carried out in the presence of a prosecutor and a public defender confirmed the substance was marijuana weighing about 35 grams, according to the OIJ.
Left out, as its quotation was not found in CR Hoy: The Ministry of Justice said the inmate Gamboa also faces a disciplinary procedure inside the prison system over the attempted introduction of an illegal substance.
Fuerza Publica officers in Los Diques, Cartago arrested a motorcyclist surnamed Otarola after he tried to flee a stop, seizing 3,858 drug doses including 701 marijuana wraps. The suspect was placed at the disposal of the Public Prosecution Service, with the Drug Control Police handling the judicial procedures.
A police chase in San Rafael de Alajuela ended with three people detained and 100 packages of marijuana seized by the Fuerza Pública and the Drug Control Police. The operation also turned up 340 more grams of drug, a firearm, a magazine and 26 rounds in a house.
Costa Rica's Fuerza Pública detained a man in Grecia, Alajuela, on the first night of its Halloween operation after police said he was carrying marijuana, cocaine and crack, and seized the same three drugs and ₡655,000 in cash in Palmares. The operation deployed 1,500 officers for Halloween and the Día de la Mascarada Costarricense.
Costa Rican coast guards detained six men aboard two go-fast boats off Bahía Ballena de Osa on 9 July 2026, including three men on a second boat carrying cocaine and marijuana. The first boat held more than 2.5 tonnes of cocaine presumed bound for the United States, while no separate cannabis weight was published.
