The two Americans arrested last Thursday with nearly $650,000 attempting to leave Costa Rica would belong to a powerful criminal network of international drug trafficking. This was confirmed to CRHoy.com by a source in the Administration for Drug Control (DEA).
According to DEA research reports, Collin Andrew Skees and Benjamin Edward Howze, 25 and 40, respectively, are part of an organization that receives drugs from Mexico and other countries, for the respective marketing process in the United States.
The subjects entered Costa Rican soil on November 27th on a direct flight from Los Angeles, and intended to leave 24 hours later through the Juan Santamaría airport with unjustified money. The bundles of money were wrapped as if they were packages of drugs, and were distributed in two handbags.
Drug Control Police (PCD) officers arrested the subjects while doing the migration review, and immediately requested functional direction from the Public Ministry, who ordered the transfer to a room at the airport for money inspection.
The authorities presume that the money’s final destination was Atlanta, United States.
Both individuals now face accusations for the crime of legitimization of capital.
Article 35 of Law 8204 , establishes that upon entering or leaving the country, every person, national or foreign, is required to declare cash or securities, in cases where the sum is greater or equal to $10 thousand.