The United States Embassy in Costa Rica recently published this update on its Twitter stream:

@CostaRicaStar Interesting article on #Erson seizure. However, Erson wasn’t seaworthy. It wasn’t towed or lost. Evidence safely transferred.

— US Embassy San Jose (@usembassysjo) August 14, 2013

The article mentioned above was published in the Costa Rica Star on August 13th. The information in that article was obtained from official press releases issued by the Minsitry of Public Safety (MSP in Spanish). The communications in question were written by Jesus Urena M. and Nicolas Aguilar, and they are filed under CP-539-2012 and ORPP-CP-546-2013. They can be reviewed here and here.

On MSP communication ORPP-CP-546-2013, Mr. Aguilar writes:

“With regard to the vessel caught with cocaine, PP-271 and named Capitan Erson, it so happened that she did not withstand being towed by the U.S. ship and sunk in international waters.”

The tweet by the U.S. Embassy explains that the fishing vessel Capitan Erson was not seaworthy, but that she was not taken in tow or lost. The U.S. Embassy adds that the evidence, which can be presumed to be the 963 kilograms of cocaine found below deck in a fish hold of the Costa Rican vessel, was safely transferred.

The tweet by the U.S. Embassy, which is an entity that represents the U.S. Department of State, does not match MSP communication ORPP-CP-546-2013. The latter states that the FV Capitan Erson sunk after not being able to withstand being taken in tow by the USS Rentz (FFG-46), and the former states she was not towed or lost.

In a sense, the U.S. Embassy’s tweet is positive in that one can only imagine the ecological risk posed to the Galapagos Archipelago should fuel from the sunk fishing vessel begin leaking. Since the crew of the Capitan Erson were apparently taken into custody by a U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment Team (LEDET) assigned to the USS Rentz, one could assume that the Capitan Erson is now an attested ghost ship adrift in the Pacific.

The MSP recently posted a video on its Facebook Timeline that shows members of the National Coast Guard Service of Costa Rica boarding the FV Capitan Erson and arresting crew members. The video is not dated, although there is a comment by the MSP about the Capitan Erson being a repeat offender from a year ago. The USS Rentz does not appear on the video, nor do any U.S. security forces, and thus it appears that the video was from a year ago.

Here are the known facts about the situation:

• The USS Rentz is a fast frigate in support of Operation Martillo (Hammer), a multinational drug interdiction effort.
• There are four suspects, three Ticos and one presumed to be a Nicaraguan citizen, aboard the USS Rentz. They are allegedly the crew of the FV Capitan Erson.
• The USS Rentz lacks legislative permit to dock in Costa Rica, and the MSP is rushing to obtain said permission from legislators at the National Assembly. Other U.S. military vessels such as Coast Guard cutters, however, recently received the proper permits to dock after a period of being snubbed –a delay that the U.S. Embassy rightfully lamented.

Some questions about the incident remain, namely the status of the FV Capitan Erson and her crew. Also, the status of the evidence seized –nearly a ton of cocaine allegedly packed into 80 bundles. As of August 13th, Carlos Arguedas of national newspaper La Nacion reported that:

“The drugs and the crew will possibly be transferred to a patrol boat from the National Coast Guard Service (of Costa Rica) so that they can be transported to our country. It has not yet been defined whether they will arrive in Puntarenas or Golfito.”

It is interesting to note that La Nacion also reported that the FV Capitan Erson received fuel subsidies from the Costa Rica government -for the purpose of fishing. The Costa Rica Star appreciates the clarification from the U.S. Embassy and looks forward to further updates on a situation that the people of Costa Rica, including many U.S. citizens, have a right to know about in the interest of transparency.