Costa Rica Trafficker Due in US Court 4 Dec
COSTA RICA · US JUSTICE
Key Facts
- The country Costa Rica is a Central American democracy of about 5 million people, a top US tourist destination and a transit point for cocaine.
- What happened Two extradited Costa Rican drug suspects are held at the Brooklyn federal jail, as of 22 October 2026.
- The men Gilberth Bell Fernández, 63, known as Macho Coca, and Gabriel Lozano Bonilla, 52, known as Compadre, were sent to New York on 13 August.
- The US case Federal prosecutors allege Bell led a cocaine ring from March 2022 to August 2023 and negotiated a 700-kilogram load.
- The neighbours The jail also holds Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, and has held Caro Quintero and El Mayo Zambada.
- Next date Bell pleaded not guilty on 26 August, and Judge Dale Ho set a new hearing for 4 December at 9:30 a.m.
- Power Index Costa Rica ranks 9th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 36.5 points (October 2026 edition).
A Costa Rica trafficker known as Macho Coca is held in the Brooklyn jail with Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, CR Hoy reported on 22 October. Gilberth Bell Fernández, 63, was extradited to New York on 13 August and pleaded not guilty on 26 August.
His alleged partner Gabriel Lozano Bonilla, 52, known as Compadre, was sent to New York on the same flight. Neither man has been convicted, and each faces a separate case brought by federal prosecutors in Manhattan.
Who Is the Costa Rica Trafficker Known as Macho Coca
Costa Rican police first arrested Bell in 2015 on drug charges, and the US Treasury sanctioned him on 15 November 2023. The Treasury called him a narcotics trafficker known for violence, mainly in Limón, the Caribbean port province.
The sanctions block any US property he owns and bar US persons from doing business with him. Treasury said it acted together with the DEA’s office in Costa Rica, the US Drug Enforcement Administration.
What New York Prosecutors Allege
According to CR Hoy, the indictment says Bell led a group that shipped cocaine to the United States between March 2022 and August 2023. Prosecutors say it used private docks, fishing boats and speedboats in Limón, and hid cargo among legitimate fishing operations to dodge the coast guard.
A DEA sworn statement says two group members became informants posing as drug buyers. A member allegedly sold one kilogram for about US$6,000 in February 2023, and Bell allegedly agreed in August 2023 to supply 700 kilograms.
Why the Jail Draws Attention
The Metropolitan Detention Center is a Brooklyn federal jail run by the US Bureau of Prisons, with a capacity of 1,775. CR Hoy says it holds Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores since January, plus cartel figures Rafael Caro Quintero and Ismael Zambada.
Zambada was sentenced to life in July 2026, and Luigi Mangione, the accused killer of a health-insurance chief, is also listed among its inmates. CR Hoy reports long-running criticism of the jail for ageing buildings, limited medical care, violent incidents and weak supervision.
How the Extradition Happened
Costa Rica sent both men to the United States on the morning of Thursday 13 August 2026 on a DEA aircraft. The flight left San José’s main airport at about 8:58 a.m. with a planned stop in Nassau, the Bahamas.
Attorney General Carlo Díaz Sánchez called the move joint work with the DEA. A constitutional change that took effect on 28 May 2025 allows Costa Rica to extradite its own citizens for drug trafficking.
The Second Man Called Compadre
Costa Rican investigators describe Lozano Bonilla as the alleged head of a group that turned cocaine into liquid and hid it in bottles. A 150-litre load of liquid cocaine was seized at the Israel-Jordan border in June 2023 and traced to a container terminal in Moín, near Limón.
Lozano Bonilla is a Colombian-born naturalised Costa Rican, and US prosecutors allege his operations ran from Venezuela and Colombia toward the United States. CR Hoy also reports that in an intercepted call he referred to then-president Rodrigo Chaves as “Papá Chaves”, which is not an accusation against Chaves.
What It Means for US Readers
The case shows how a small Central American country sits on a cocaine route that ends in New York. After the 2025 constitutional change, a Costa Rica trafficker can face American jurors, as in Costa Rica’s extradition of five men on 1 October.
The sanctions history matters for US companies, banks and dock operators in Costa Rica, because dealing with a designated person is barred. Travellers to Limón face no new restriction from this report, and Costa Rica remains a major US tourist destination.
What Is Not Known
CR Hoy says the two men are held at the Brooklyn center, while Diario Extra wrote only that placement was possible. It is not known whether either Costa Rica trafficker will seek a plea deal or when a trial will start.
The Tico Times reports that US promises to Costa Rica bar prosecutors from seeking life in prison, or more than 50 years, for Bell. The charges remain allegations, and neither man has been convicted in the United States.
More: Costa Rica news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Macho Coca?
Macho Coca is the nickname of Gilberth Bell Fernández, a Costa Rica trafficker accused of leading a cocaine ring. The US Treasury sanctioned him in November 2023, and Costa Rica extradited him to New York on 13 August 2026.
Is he really in the same jail as Maduro?
CR Hoy reports that Bell and Lozano Bonilla are held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where Maduro has been held since January. Diario Extra said only that placement was possible, and the US Bureau of Prisons decides housing.
What is he charged with in the United States?
Prosecutors accuse him of conspiracy and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, tied to shipments from Costa Rica. He pleaded not guilty on 26 August before Judge Dale Ho in Manhattan.
When is the next court date?
Judge Dale Ho set a new hearing for 4 December 2026 at 9:30 a.m., according to El Observador and Teletica. The Costa Rica trafficker may learn his trial date then.
Does this affect travel to Costa Rica?
No travel rule changed because of this report. The case concerns an alleged Costa Rica trafficker and his ring on the Caribbean coast, not tourist areas.
Sources: CR Hoy, 22 October 2026; Diario Extra, 22 October 2026; CR Hoy, 2026; Teletica, 26 August 2026; El Observador, 1 September 2026; Delfino.cr, 13 August 2026; Tico Times, 13 August 2026; US Treasury, 15 November 2023.
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error