The “Pineapple Express” drug seizures at the Port of Wilmington have been accompanied by an investigation in Costa Rica.
About 200 pounds of cocaine concealed in two separate pineapple shipments was seized.
The Costa Rica Star reported that authorities in the Central American nation are investigating two exporters amid concerns that drug seizures tied to organized crime could affect the future of a key export.
One individual was found during the investigation to be carrying firearms, the site reported.
The website reported that searches were made of two sites amid suspicions that drugs were being exported to Europe as well as the U.S. The investigations had been going on for some time, with law enforcement working with its counterparts in other nations.
The cocaine seized in Wilmington had an estimated street value of $6 million, according to one estimate.
The shipments were eventually dubbed the Pineapple Express, a reference to an action comedy movie that was named after a strain of marijuana. The movie had marijuana-using characters stumbling into contact with drug lords and mobsters, often with violent results.
Wilmington PD’s drug-sniffing dog finds another 100 pounds of cocaine in joint operation at port