For the first time in recent history, Costa Rica has extradited some of its citizens to the United States to face criminal drug-trafficking and conspiracy charges.The individuals included in Friday’s extradition include a top government official, Celso Gamboa, 49, who previously served as a Supreme Court justice from 2016 to 2018 and a deputy attorney general from 2015 to 2016.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listThe administration of Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves Robles hailed the extraditions as a major step in ensuring criminal justice.“Costa Rica is sending a strong message: no one can use our nationality to evade justice,” Attorney General Carlo Diaz said in a video message.Diaz acknowledged that “high-profile individuals” were included in the inaugural extradition. “This is a historic day,” he added.Previously, the Constitution of Costa Rica banned the extradition of its citizens for prosecution abroad.But that changed in 2025 with a constitutional amendment championed by the Chaves government. Costa Rica’s legislature passed the amendment with 44 votes in support, out of a total of 57 deputies.Proponents have argued that the change was needed to combat growing crime in the country and that corruption in the judicial system made the pursuit of justice difficult.But critics have argued that extradition is a hardline tactic that fails to address the root causes of crime, while subjecting citizens to foreign laws.The amendment is tailored to …
