Wanted for multiple offenses in the US, John Wesley Saatio, chose Costa Rica to hide from the justice of his country.
Saatio, known as the ‘king of escape’ is only part of an extensive list of dangerous foreign fugitives who selected Costa Rica as the perfect destination for shelter.
The list also included Italian Danilo De Bonis, Honduran Wilter Blanco and Panamanian Roberto Welch Sevillano, who settled here with relative ease to hide from the justice in their countries.
There is a greater communication with other countries that allows us to be more efficient. We will continue operating. We demonstrated that the police is giving a timely response to get these thugs out of our country,”
said Gustavo Mata, Minister of Public Security.
According to Alvaro Ramos, former minister and an international security expert, Costa Rica has historically lacked rigor in migratory controls. For example, the ease of consummating marriages that allows to legalize the immigration status of a foreign has no major drawbacks.
The specialist also criticized the courts and the Constitutional Chamber for being “extremely benevolent” with international criminals.
There are people who have defrauded Migration and tricked humble people into marrying them. The courts continue to validate these marriages. We must end this doctrine that protects the criminal (…) It is a miracle that we are not full of foreign criminals”
said the former minister.
In 2015, the Civil Registry had the objective to constitute a specialized unit to investigate simulated marriages. Not only in cases for Costa Rican nationality, but any other open door to possible crimes.