Costa Rica: A gang referred to as the Elizondo Gang, reportedly led by a former police officer named Enrique Elizondo; state response to gang activities and redress available to victims of gangs
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Ottawa |
| Publication Date | 13 August 2003 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | CRI41838.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Costa Rica: A gang referred to as the Elizondo Gang, reportedly led by a former police officer named Enrique Elizondo; state response to gang activities and redress available to victims of gangs, 13 August 2003, CRI41838.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/485ba8591e.html [accessed 8 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Media reports refer to a criminal gang led by a former officer of the Costa Rican investigative police (the Organismo de Investigacion Judicial, OIJ), named Manuel Enrique Fallas Elizondo (El Siglo 10 Nov. 2002; La Nación 19 Aug. 2002). The former police officer is described by one report as one of the best officers of the OIJ (El Siglo 10 Nov. 2002), whose two brothers were jailed in Costa Rica after they kidnapped state officials in 1997 (ibid.; La Prensa 28 Aug. 2002).
Fallas Elizondo was himself arrested in the late 1990s in Limon, Costa Rica, in connection with the robbery of an armoured truck and several banks (El Siglo 10 Nov. 2002). In 1999 Fallas Elizondo was reportedly Costa Rica's most wanted jail escapee (La Nación 19 Aug. 2002). One source describes Manuel Enrique Fallas Elizondo as a person wanted by Interpol for robbery and other crimes committed in Costa Rica and Nicaragua (La Prensa 22 July 2002).
Two Panamanian sources report that Manuel Enrique Fallas Elizondo and members of his gang were captured in Panama after a 1999 bank robbery, in which a police guard was killed, and later sentenced by a tribunal in 2001 (La Prensa 28 Aug. 2002; El Siglo 12 Aug. 2002). The robbery was reportedly carried out in July 1999 at El Ingenio by six heavily armed men (ibid. 12 Aug. 2002). A Costa Rican newspaper reports that the gang members captured soon after the robbery included, in addition to Manuel Enrique Fallas Elizondo, four Panamanians and one Colombian (La Nación 19 Aug. 2002).
One report states that the Supreme Court of Panama confirmed in August 2002 that the trial against Fallas Elizondo and four others3/4on charges of homicide and crimes against public safety and property3/4could proceed because there was sufficient evidence available against them (El Siglo 16 Aug. 2002). The four facing trial with Fallas Elizondo are listed as: Alberto Correa Racines, Javier Sabrino Mora, Azael Amet Purcait and Allen Enrique Aragon Trejos (ibid.).
Also in August 2002, the Supreme Court of Panama was considering an appeal by defence lawyers for members of Manuel Enrique Fallas Elizondo's gang, who had answered for charges of crimes against public safety, life and property, but had seen charges of illegal association and possession of prohibited weapons dropped (La Nación 19 Aug. 2002).
A news report states that Fallas Elizondo was also expected to face charges of robbery for the theft of two cars used in the 1999 bank robbery (ibid.). Although he and his five associates had been sentenced earlier to three years of prison for the theft of the two cars, that sentence had later been annulled (ibid.).
One source reports that in November 2002 the Supreme Court of Panama began hearing a request to modify the sentencing of Manuel Enrique Fallas Elizondo and two Panamanian associates, Jimmy Balanta Ruiz and Alberto Obaldía (El Siglo 10 Nov. 2002). According to the report, the three had reportedly been acquitted of the charges of theft, while two other associates3/4Javier Condor Loo and Armando Lee Lay3/4had been sentenced to 72 months in prison for that crime (ibid.). The source states that some of those involved in this case of theft are alleged to be members of an international gang that robbed banks and an armoured truck in Costa Rica (ibid.).
More recent references to the situation of Manuel Enrique Fallas Elizondo and his fellow gang members could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
For information on police or state response to criminal organizations, please refer to CRI41417.E of 9 April 2003 and earlier Responses cited therein, as well as documents on the subject available at Regional Documentation Centres.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
El Siglo [Panama City]. 10 November 2002. Británico Julio Quesada. "Luchan por retener a ex policía tico acusado de hurto."
_____. 16 August 2002. Británico Julio Quesada. "Llaman a juicio a 'tico' del OIJ y banda de asaltantes de camiones blindados."
_____. 12 August 2002. Británico Julio Quesada. "Fijan audiencia contra banda internacional de asaltantes."
La Nación [San Jose]. 19 August 2002. Alvaro Murillo M. "Fallas Elizondo a juicio por atraco en Panamá."
La Prensa [Panama City]. 28 August 2002. José Otero. "A juicio miembros de peligrosa banda."
_____. 22 July 2002. José Otero. "Prófugos buscan refugio en Panamá."
