A notorious drug cartel leader has been captured after his wife unwittingly posted lavish vacation photos online, revealing his location.
Luis Manuel Picado Grijalba, a 43-year-old Costa Rican drug kingpin known by his alias “Shock,” was arrested at a London airport in December.
His arrest followed a months-long manhunt by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which had been tracking his involvement in international cocaine trafficking.
Grijalba was allegedly responsible for shipping large quantities of cocaine from Limón, Costa Rica to the U.S., and had been on the DEA’s radar for some time.
Despite his high-profile criminal activities, his capture came after his wife, Estefania McDonald Rodriguez, shared several photos of their vacation in Europe.
One post, featuring the couple under the Eiffel Tower in Paris, was a key clue that helped agents pinpoint Grijalba’s whereabouts.
Rodriguez, a frequent traveler, had posted pictures documenting their luxury vacation, which included sunny beach getaways and a visit to Rome’s Trevi Fountain.



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She made these posts on an Instagram account that has since been deleted.
The DEA, monitoring Grijalba’s movements, used the Paris photos to confirm his location, ultimately leading to his arrest.
The DEA had secured an international warrant for his capture, as Costa Rica prohibits the extradition of its citizens.
Grijalba is currently fighting extradition to the U.S., where he faces charges related to drug trafficking.
His arrest has stirred controversy in Costa Rica, where officials, including President Rodrigo Chaves Robles, criticized the lack of local action on his case.
Costa Rica’s Attorney General Carlo Diaz acknowledged that Grijalba had been linked to drug trafficking activities in Limón but emphasized that no formal charges had been made against him in the country.