Gustavo Villatoro the Salvadoran Minister of Justice and Public Security. On January 27, the Salvadoran Navy intercepted two foreign fishing boats 300 nautical miles (556 kilometers) southwest of the El Cordoncillo beach, in the Jaltepeque estuary.
Salvadoran authorities confirmed that the boats were carrying 1.5 tons of cocaine, valued at $39 million, and each vessel had four Costa Rican crew members onboard
The captured individuals were identified as:
- Hugo Martín Calvo Sandino
- Francisco Diego Ávila Chavarría
- Erick Gabriel Gómez Castillo
- Kevin Mauricio Rojas
- Alexander Gerardo Alvarado
- Yeudy Espinosa Esteller
- Edgar David Carranza
- Diego Jesús Burgos Morales
The Ministry of Security, National Defense, Armed Forces, and the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) presented the seized drugs today, Friday, February 7.
After having located, on January 27, two Costa Rican fishing vessels dedicated to international drug trafficking, today we are finalizing the chain of custody to hand them over to the corresponding authorities. René Francis Merino Monroy, Minister of Defense of El Salvador.
SEE ALSO: Costa Rica Crime Profile: Criminal Groups, Security Forces, the Judicial System, and Prisons
Impact on Drug Trafficking
Minister of Defense René Merino Monroy highlighted that efforts by government institutions to combat drug trafficking have significantly strengthened.
Salvadoran authorities communicated that this drug seizure is an addition to efforts that over the past year have led to the seizure of 22.6 tons of cocaine, worth $565.2 million.
Minister of Justice and Security Gustavo Villatoro emphasized the government’s commitment to dismantling drug trafficking networks operating in the region.
“We will continue to fight organized crime, being forceful in our interventions. Of all the tons that the National Navy has seized, all have been destroyed, as well as this seizure that will be destroyed,” stated Gustavo Villatoro the Salvadoran Minister of Justice and Public Security.
SEE ALSO: Will Costa Rica Follow Ecuador’s Path? Examining the Rise of Crime in the Pura Vida Country
This latest seizure marks another significant victory in El Salvador’s ongoing battle against organized crime.
