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 list The 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 …