The Criminal Court of Alajuela released the two Americans suspected of the crime of capitalization and also investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for being part of a powerful international drug trafficking network.
As confirmed yesterday morning by the press office of the Public Ministry, the court rejected the request made by the Deputy Prosecutor of Alajuela to prosecute foreigners and give them three months of preventive arrest.
A confidential source from CRHoy.com confirmed that Collin Andrew Skees and Benjamin Edward Howze are no longer in Costa Rica because they left on a direct flight to the United States through the Juan Santamaría International Airport, just hours after being released by the judge.
The suspects were captured last Thursday at the same airport while they were preparing to transport more than $644 thousand in cash, distributed in several packages. They were traveling to Atlanta in the United States.
The Public Ministry also confirmed that the Canine Unit that collaborated with the banknote inspection operation tested positive with drug traces in the wrappings of the money.