A violent cartel boss nicknamed after the devil has been arrested following a bloody shootout that saw eight officers injured.
Alejandro “El Diablo” Arias, whose nickname translates to mean The Devil, was, Costa Rica’s most wanted fugitive, having been linked to hundreds of homicides and the trafficking of huge quantities of illegal narcotics.
Arias, who was arrested alongside two other alleged gang members, had been on the run for nearly a decade when cops finally tracked him down to a property in Costa Rica’s Sarapiquí region, according to investigative outlet Insight Crime.
The seasoned criminal issued an armed response to the police presence, with at least eight cops suffering gunshot wounds, with two still in critical condition.
One member of Arias’ entourage was k!lled during the operation, which lasted around one hour, according to local reports, while two others were arrested.
According to reports, large quantities of money were also found at the property, along with firearms and a poster of Pablo Escobar decorated with the famous cartel slogan “silver or lead”.
Costa Rican President Laura Fernández described Arias as a “high-end criminal”, warning that her country will have to work hard to avoid him either escaping or continuing to run his criminal empire from jail.
She wrote: “The challenge will be ensuring he doesn’t escape or continue directing criminal activities from prison.”
In a statement, the US embassy in Costa Rica said: We congratulate the Costa Rican officers on this morning’s capture of Alejandro Arias Monge.”
“Our thoughts are with the brave officers who were injured during the operation. We recognise their courage and the skill with which they carried out this important arrest.”
The 41-year-old cartel boss had for the past few years dominated the Central American country’s criminal landscape, using extreme violence to dominate the drugs trade.
According to local media, at least 360 murd£rs have been linked to various feuds involving Arias and his followers, many of which have seen victims decapitated or burned alive.
The US Drugs Enforcement Agency had previously offered a $500,000 bounty on his head, describing him as heading up a “violent transnational criminal organisation”.