- By Shivangi Sharma
- Sun, 26 Jan 2025 08:41 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Luis Manuel Picado Grijalba, a notorious drug kingpin wanted by the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), was arrested in London in December after his wife unknowingly helped authorities track his movements through social media. Grijalba, who goes by the alias "Shock", was accused of shipping cocaine from Limón, Costa Rica to the United States, and had been on the DEA's radar for several months.
Grijalba, 43, was apprehended near London Bridge after he and his wife, Estefania Rodriguez, arrived in the city on a lavish £16,000 vacation to ring in the New Year. The couple's extensive travel itinerary, including stops in Paris, Rome, Venice, and Japan, was shared on Rodriguez's social media platforms, which ultimately gave away Grijalba's whereabouts.
Posts showed her posing in front of iconic landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and the Trevi Fountain, as well as relaxing on beaches and outside luxury hotels, unknowingly revealing the couple's location to authorities.
Social Media Fails To Hide Drug Lord
The National Crime Agency (NCA) in the UK was able to use these social media posts to pinpoint Grijalba’s movements. According to a report by The Mirror, an NCA spokesperson confirmed the arrest, stating that Grijalba was taken into custody on December 29 and remanded in jail while extradition proceedings are underway. He is currently contesting his extradition to the United States, where he faces charges related to his involvement in international drug trafficking.
The arrest of Grijalba, who has already survived two assassination attempts in Costa Rica, comes amid a significant rise in drug-related violence in the country. Costa Rica has seen a staggering 60 per cent increase in drug-related murders over the past decade, highlighting the growing influence of criminal drug organisations in the region. Despite his notoriety and dangerous lifestyle, Grijalba's arrest was made possible by the seemingly harmless online posts of his wife, which ultimately betrayed his location.