QCOSTARICA — The United States Department of State’s Bureau of International Counternarcotics and Law Enforcement Assistance announced a reward offer, under the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program (TOCRP), of up to $500,000 US dollars for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction, in any country, of Alejandro Arias Monge, alias “Diablo.”
In Colones, the reward is ¢252 million at the current dollar exchange rate.
Arias is the head of a violent transnational criminal organization and the most wanted fugitive in Costa Rica, with multiple arrest warrants for drug trafficking, robbery, aggravated homicide, and money laundering.
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According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Arias has conspired with numerous drug traffickers and drug trafficking organizations to transport shipments of several hundred kilos of cocaine from Colombia. The cocaine is then smuggled through Costa Rica, Honduras, and Guatemala to Mexico, with its final destination being the United States.
Arias’ organization uses social media to intimidate Costa Ricans by posting images of firearms, threatening messages to the public and government leaders, and videos of murders. Additionally, the DEA and Costa Rican authorities have identified criminal cells operated by Arias in all seven provinces of Costa Rica.
Michael Soto, deputy director of Costa Rica’s judicial police, the Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ), indicated that such a significant amount could not be offered by the country due to financial constraints.
“We couldn’t possibly offer that amount of money, but I think we’ve made a great effort, as you’ve seen. We’ve raided dozens of locations linked to this group, we’ve significantly weakened it. However, he (Diablo) operates with a group and has information in the area of corruption that allows him to know our movements,” Soto explained.
“The important thing is to capture him. I think the important thing is that we all coordinate to get this guy off the streets. So I think we’re going to focus our efforts, our energy. If they arrest him, I repeat, any police force, we’re still going to be very happy. If we arrest him, we’re also going to be very happy,” Soto added.
The legal process if he is captured in Costa Rica
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If Alejandro Arias Monge is arrested in Costa Rica, this is what will happen:
- He must first be prosecuted in Costa Rica for the crimes he has pending here, including aggravated robbery and aggravated homicide.
- He would only face international charges if he were arrested in another country.
Post-Arrest scenarios
Although capture is the primary objective, authorities are realistic about what could happen next.
The arrest of a leader with a consolidated structure, something Costa Rica is not accustomed to, is expected to lead to the fragmentation of his organization.
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This fragmentation could cause the group to become more regional and could lead to the emergence of new leaders within the group vying for control and territory.
This scenario of internal and territorial disputes is something that generates violence.
Authorities know that combating these structures carries risks, including possible direct threats to police leaders.
Alejandro Arias Monge left prison on October 28, 2016, after serving pretrial detention as a suspect in two homicides. Since then, authorities have lost track of him.
Today’s reward offers are authorized by the U.S. Secretary of State under the TOCRP, which supports law enforcement efforts to disrupt transnational crime worldwide.
If you have any information, please contact the DEA at +1-956-517-7023 (text/WhatsApp/Signal) or email at CRInfo@dea.gov.
If you are located outside the United States, you can also visit the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. If you are in the United States, you can contact your local DEA office.
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