The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has imposed sanctions on five Costa Rican nationals and five entities based in Costa Rica for their roles in narcotics trafficking and money laundering activities. According to OFAC, these individuals and organizations are part of a network responsible for transporting large quantities of cocaine from Colombia through Costa Rica, with the drugs ultimately destined for the United States and Europe.
Costa Rica has increasingly become a significant transit point for criminal groups moving cocaine northward. The designated network is led by Luis Manuel Picado Grijalba, described as one of the most prolific drug traffickers operating in the Caribbean.
“The Trump Administration will not allow narcotraffickers to poison Americans,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “The entire drug trafficking supply chain—from shipping facilitators to money launderers—bears responsibility for American addictions and deaths. We will continue to hold them accountable for the devastation they cause in our homeland.”
This action follows an investigation coordinated by Homeland Security Task Forces, involving collaboration between U.S. agencies such as the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and various Costa Rican law enforcement bodies, including the Office of the Attorney General, Drug Control Police, Office of Judicial Investigation, Public Force (Fuerza Pública), and Financial Intelligence Unit. The sanctions were issued under Executive Order 14059, which targets those involved in illicit drug proliferation.
Since its opening in 2019, Moín seaport in Limón has become a key hub for cocaine shipments leaving Costa Rica. Authorities report that competition among criminal groups over control of this port has contributed to increased violence within the country.
OFAC’s recent actions build on previous efforts targeting major figures in Costa Rican drug trafficking. In November 2023, Gilbert Hernan de Los Angeles Bell Fernandez was sanctioned for his role in making Costa Rica a central narcotics transit hub. In August 2025, Celso Manuel Gamboa and Edwin Danney Lopez Vega were also designated for facilitating large-scale cocaine movement through Costa Rica.
Today’s designations target associates of previously sanctioned individuals as well as what authorities describe as Costa Rica’s largest cocaine trafficking organization led by Luis Manuel Picado Grijalba (“Shock”) and his brother Jordie Kevin Picado Grijalba (“Noni”). Shock was arrested in December 2024 in the United Kingdom and awaits extradition proceedings to the United States; Noni was arrested in August 2025 by Costa Rican authorities under similar circumstances.
Allies of Shock include other traffickers such as Bell and Lopez, along with armed groups like a gang controlled by Tonny Alexander Pena Russell. Pena Russell was arrested in 2024 on multiple murder charges reportedly ordered by Shock.
In November 2025, police operations targeted this organization across Limón and San Jose, resulting in thirty arrests and seizures totaling fourteen tons of drugs alongside luxury assets.
OFAC stated that both Shock and Noni are being designated under E.O. 14059 due to their significant involvement or risk thereof regarding international illicit drug proliferation or its means of production. Pena Russell is being designated for providing support to Shock.
Authorities also identified family members involved in laundering proceeds from these activities: Estefania McDonald Rodriguez (Shock’s wife) and Anita McDonald Rodriguez (his mother-in-law). Both used their businesses—including Asociación de Lideres Limonenses del Sector Pesquero (ASOLIPES), several companies registered under different names, Magic Esthetic Salon SA, and Inversiones Laurita L&L SA—to facilitate money laundering schemes linked to drug trafficking operations. Some businesses have been suspended by local authorities due to these connections.
As a result of today’s action, all property or interests belonging to those designated that fall within U.S jurisdiction are blocked; U.S persons are generally prohibited from engaging with these individuals or entities unless authorized by OFAC licenses or exemptions. Violations may lead to civil or criminal penalties under strict liability standards enforced by OFAC regulations.
OFAC emphasizes that its sanctions program aims not only at punishment but also at encouraging behavioral change among designees. Information about seeking removal from OFAC lists is available through official guidance channels.
