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Back in the water. Source: Ministry of Public Safety
A leatherback turtle that was trapped by poachers in Costa Rica is once again swimming the waters of the Caribbean thanks to the quick action of Fuerza Public officers, who also apprehended four suspects.
Tortugero National Park is a sanctuary for the sea turtles that massively arrive in the northern Caribbean coast of Costa Rica for nesting. This haven is protected by park rangers and the Ministry of the Environment (MINAET in Spanish), but Fuerza Publica officers are often call to augment vigilance. Tortuguero is a remote and wild place, and to that effect criminals are known to occasionally visit the park and make it a temporary base from which they can ply their nefarious trade.
On Saturday, August 4th, two groups of Fuerza Publica officers climbed aboard small motor boats operated by the MINAET. These officers are assigned to the Colorado district in the Pococi canton of the Limon province, who also serve as border guards. Fuerza Publica conducts water patrols that launch from the maritime control post in Jaloa, usually between midnight and dawn.
The officers had been on patrol for about four hours when they came across the “Iverson”, a small vessel equipped with a powerful outboard engine. Aboard the Iverson were four men from the Cieneguita neighborhood in Limon. The incident occurred in a known drug trafficking route, and thus the Fuerza Publica officers requested a boarding. The Iverson suddenly took off, leaving the MINAET small boat in its wake. Unbeknownst to the suspects, another MINAET boat with Fuerza Publica officers aboard was in the direction of their escape route.
Once the Iverson was intercepted and boarded, officers found an adult female leatherback, in addition to homemade harpoons, three small buoys and 40 gallon oil drums. These instruments are consistent with paraphernalia used by sea turtle poachers. Not all turtles are subject to harpooning by poachers. These docile marine species can sometimes be hauled aboard by able crews, or a set of buoys can be strung together with fishing nets to create a trap that prevents turtles from diving.
No one was hurt during the operation, not even the female Dermochelys coriacea. She was rescued from her captors and placed back in the water. Upon further inspection by the officers, a 9mm semiautomatic pistol was confiscated along with two magazines and 40 rounds. The four suspects were turned over to prosecutors who will charge them with violations of Law Numbers 5680 (National Parks Law), and 8325 (Protection of Marine Turtles).
Fuerza Publica and the National Coast Guard Service are committed to the protection of all ocean resources. The Costa Rica Star routinely reports on the efforts of these two forces against poachers, particularly of sea turtles and sharks.
