Costa Rica captures drug cartel leader 'Alias Diablo

Costa Rican authorities arrested Alejandro Arias Monge, known as “Alias Diablo,” during a month‑long operation in the Heredia province near the Nicaraguan border. The raid lasted about an hour, leaving eight police officers wounded and one suspected gang member dead. Arias Monge is accused of leading a transnational criminal network involved in drug trafficking, extortion and multiple murders over the past decade.

The Ministry of Public Prosecutors formally charged him and placed him in preventive detention at the high‑security La Reforma prison. Five police officials have also been detained for alleged collaboration with the gang. U.S. officials, which previously offered a reward for information leading to his capture, are considering an extradition request. The case highlights the broader network that protected the criminal leader, prompting calls for deeper investigations into corruption and collusion within law‑enforcement agencies.