Story perspectives
Costa Rica Ends Extradition Ban, Sends Drug Traffickers to U.S.
3/21/2026
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Story summary
- Costa Rica extradited Celso Gamboa, a former Supreme Court justice, and Edwin Lopez Vega to the United States on drug-trafficking charges.
- The move marks a historic shift, ending Costa Rica's long ban on extraditing its citizens.
- Attorney General Carlo Diaz said the extraditions send a strong message against evading justice.
- A 2025 constitutional amendment allows extradition to curb rising crime, with Gamboa facing at least 10 years if convicted.
