Q COSTARICA — The San José Criminal Court ruled this Tuesday to authorize the extradition of former magistrate and former minister Celso Manuel Gamboa Sánchez to the United States, where he is wanted for alleged international drug trafficking and money laundering.
The decision was announced hours after his defense attorney filed a brief asking Judge William Serrano to issue the ruling “as soon as possible” and personally serve it while the former official was in court for another legal case.
Final Resolution
The court ruling concludes the ten-day review period during which the judge considered the evidence and arguments of the parties.
The case was processed following a formal request from the United States government, which accuses Gamboa of having ties to drug trafficking networks in several countries in the region.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) profiles him as a regional coordinator of the Gulf Cartel, with connections extending to Colombia, Panama, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. It also links him to the Sinaloa Cartel and the Gulf Clan.
What’s next after the ruling?
With judicial authorization, the file will be passed to the Third Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice, which must review the proceedings before final delivery to US authorities.
The defense, led by Natalia Gamboa (Celso’s sister) and Michael Castillo, may file legal appeals to try to stop the rendition, although the Criminal Court’s ruling represents a decisive and historic step.
Gamboa was arrested on June 23, 2025, along with two other Costa Ricans: Edwin Danney López Vega (alias “Pecho de Rata”) and Jonathan Guillermo Álvarez Alfaro (“Profeo” or “Gato”), both also wanted by U.S. justices.
The defense team had stated that Gamboa had no high expectations of a favorable ruling, although they assured that they would seek to exhaust all legal avenues before his transfer to U.S. territory is finalized.
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