A top law enforcement agent in Costa Rica has been arrested under suspicion of being involved in a bizarre intimidation scheme that resulted in the wrongful detention of three visitors from the United States, one of them a former police officer. Early reports on this strange situation indicate that the strong-arming may be tied to unethical practices in the lucrative real estate market of Quepos, province of Puntarenas.

According to a news report filed by Katherine Chaves of national newspaper La Nacion, the Section Chief of the Office of Judicial Investigations (Spanish initials: OIJ), who has been identified by the last name of Solano, was arrested by his own co-workers on Wednesday. Chief Solano allegedly conducted an extrajudicial operation that involved the intimidation of three U.S. tourists, one identified as a minor and another as a former police officer whose last name is Jay.

Assistant OIJ director Gerald Campos held a press conference that attempted to explain why Chief Solano abused his authority to terrorize three visitors from the U.S. It is important to note that Mr. Jay, the former police officer, was in Costa Rica for the purpose of carrying out a real estate transaction.

The complaint against Chief Solano states that on May 8 he pulled over a vehicle in which the three victims were traveling. He then proceeded to inform Mr. Jay that there was an INTERPOL notice calling for his arrest. Chief Solano then took the three tourists to a detention center and placed them in a cell for about 45 minutes; he ostensibly told them that he needed to check with his INTERPOL contacts before releasing them. In the meantime, Mr. Jay was allowed to contact his attorney, a situation that prompted the release of the tourists.

The preliminary investigation by the OIJ suggests that Chief Solano was in collusion with an expat from the U.S. who is a resident of Quepos; this man was apparently a nemesis of the victimized tourists, and he did not want a certain real estate transaction taking place.

Chief Solano purportedly agreed to scare the tourists, but he was not alone in this ruse. A civilian, who is known in Quepos by his “Bombillo” (light bulb) nickname, acted as a henchman; he allegedly tailed the tourists’ car and notified Chief Solano of their whereabouts. The investigation also suggests that Chief Solano called for backup when he pulled over the tourists; two OIJ employees assigned to the detention center were also involved in the intimidation artifice, but it is unclear if they were duped into participating or if they were henchmen.

Prosecutors from the Corruption and Transparency Unit are preparing their case against Chief Solano, who is currently free on a conditional release, which was granted in court after a brief stay in jail.