Costa Rican Police Arrest Top Drug Trafficker 'El Diablo' with U.S. Support

Costa Rican police apprehended the nation's most wanted drug trafficker, Alejandro Arias Monge, known as "El Diablo," during an operation on Friday that resulted in one fatality and eight injuries, officials reported.

Carlos Díaz, Costa Rica's Attorney General, told reporters that the United States had previously offered a $500,000 reward for information leading to the capture of Arias Monge.

The arrest took place in Río Frío, located in the Heredia province in the country's northeast. Law enforcement targeted a meeting of criminal organization leaders at a rural farm, which also led to the death of another gang leader named Rony Ríos.

Díaz stated that approximately 2,500 bullets were fired during the security operation to detain "El Diablo," resulting in injuries to eight police officers.

The U.S. Embassy in San José issued a statement on the X platform congratulating the Costa Rican government on the successful operation.

The statement read: "We congratulate the security officers in Costa Rica for the arrest this morning of Alejandro Arias Monge (Diablo) in the Sarapiquí area."

The embassy described Monge as the leader of a violent transnational criminal organization and one of Costa Rica's most wanted fugitives.

It added that multiple arrest warrants have been issued against him in the country on charges including drug trafficking, robbery, aggravated murder, and money laundering.

The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs had offered a reward of up to $500,000 for information leading to his arrest and/or conviction.

The embassy also praised the bravery of the Costa Rican police officers injured during the operation, commending their courage and skill in carrying out this important arrest.

In recent years, drug trafficking has surged in Costa Rica, a country previously considered one of the safest in Central America.