US Sanctions Costa Rican Drug Network Amid Intensified Caribbean Crackdown

The US has sanctioned five Costa Ricans and five entities for involvement in transporting cocaine from Colombia to various global territories. The operations were allegedly orchestrated by Luis Manuel Picado Grijalba and implicated his family. These measures are part of a wider effort by the Trump administration to counter drug trafficking networks.

The United States has imposed sanctions on five Costa Ricans and five Costa Rican organizations allegedly involved in cocaine trafficking from Colombia to the US and Europe. The network, led by Costa Rican national Luis Manuel Picado Grijalba, is accused of being a major player in Caribbean drug smuggling.

According to the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, the sanctions target Grijalba, his brother, and family members, along with their associated businesses involved in drug trafficking and money laundering. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasized the shared responsibility of all involved in the drug trade for American addiction crises.

The sanctions are part of a larger initiative by the Trump administration to disrupt the drug trade through aggressive measures like strikes on smuggling boats and a drone operation in Venezuela. Additionally, the US reached an agreement with Costa Rica for detaining deportees, furthering cooperative efforts to combat drug trafficking.

(With inputs from agencies.)