Authorities believe five Colombian men arrested in Costa Rica late last week were hired by a Colombian drug cartel to kill Presidency Minister Rodrigo Arias and Public Security Minister Fernando Berrocal, according to the daily La Nación.

The murders were allegedly planned as an act of vengeance after Costa Rican police seized 40 tons of cocaine in several operations during the past year, Berrocal told the daily.

The five arrested, identified by the last names Angulo, Martínez, Casares, Flores and Olaya, are believed to be part of the armed branch of the Norte del Valle cartel in Colombia. Angulo and Martínez were arrested Friday night in the Pacific town of Esparza, while the other three were arrested Thursday in the center of Alajuela, northwest of San José.

Police believe the leader of the group left Costa Rica a few days before the arrests to seek more resources and backup, Berrocal said. Two Costa Ricans are suspected of assisting the group by providing them with guns.

Police believe these five helped control the Pacific port of Buenaventura, Colombia, from which they sent boats full of cocaine to the United States via Central America. Costa Rican police have intercepted several of these boats during the past year.

The five arrested were deported Saturday morning to Bogota, each accompanied by two Immigration officials. In Colombia, they face interrogation by that country's Administrative Security Department concerning cases of murder of government authorities, police and civilians.

“These men are some of the most dangerous to be arrested in many years,” said Immigration Director Mario Zamora.

-Tico Times