New Delhi, Jan. 23 -- The U.S. imposed sanctions on five Costa Ricans and five Costa Rican entities for allegedly helping to transport tons of cocaine from Colombia, storing the drugs in Costa Rica, then shipping them to the U.S. and Europe.

The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control alleges that Costa Rican national Luis Manuel Picado Grijalba, sanctioned Thursday, is the leader of the network and one of the most prolific international drug dealers in the Caribbean, along with his brother Jordie Kevin Picado Grijalba.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said "the entire drug trafficking supply chain - from shipping facilitators to money launderers - bears responsibility for American addictions and deaths," in announcing th...