The drone, the fine, a cat, and the police officer who escorted them to the border: the odyssey of an 'influencer' in Nicaragua

Content creator Yekaterina Vorokhobova reported that Nicaraguan authorities detained her for bringing a drone into the country in July 2024. (Image taken from a YouTube video)The Russian-American content creator Yekaterina Vorokhobova, known as Tropical Russian, reported that she was detained with her pet in Bluefields for bringing a drone into Nicaragua in July 2024. The episode ended with a police escort to Costa Rica, the confiscation of the equipment, and the payment of a USD 500 fine. 100% Noticias reported.Vorokhobova, a resident of Costa Rica, had traveled to attend a wedding on Corn Island. After leaving Nicaragua, she wrote in August 2024: "Now that we are safe and out of Nicaragua I can appreciate the beauty of Little Corn Island and the police photos with my cat." A police document that the traveler showed on her social media identified the case as a drone inspection at the Bluefields airport. The record indicated that she and the Costa Rican Angel Yireh Chinchilla Chavarria had entered by land from San Pancho on July 31, 2024. The control over the equipment continued outside the airport. The creator recounted that a police officer accompanied them from Bluefields to the Costa Rican border post to prevent them from using the drone during the trip. In the videos released by Vorokhobova, the agent appears drinking coffee and beer with them as they headed toward the border. The traveler explained the reason for his presence: "The reason there is a police officer with us is to make sure we don't use it." The escort did not prevent additional procedures at the end of the journey. According to her account, the authorities confiscated the drone and demanded payment of USD 500 for having brought it into the country; they also held the vehicle and the keys as collateral. The traveler attended a wedding on Corn Island before heading toward the border with Costa Rica. (Illustrative image Infobae)Vorokhobova and Chinchilla Chavarria crossed on foot to San Carlos, where they spent the night and looked for an ATM to withdraw the money. They then returned to the border post, paid the fine, completed the migration stamps, and subjected the vehicle to an inspection."I paid the money," said the creator as she narrated the outcome. She then added: "I will never come back here." The traveler also stated that she managed to bring her cat into Costa Rica without declaring it to the border authorities. Difficulties with pets also affected three Mexicans traveling through Central America by motorcycle with a chihuahua named Pinky. The travelers shared on the YouTube channel Motocancun an experience they described as a "complicated exit from Nicaragua." The group had three days remaining of their stay under the CA4 and planned to cross into Costa Rica to later return to Nicaragua. However, upon reaching the border, the authorities demanded an export permit for the dog. Three Mexican motorcyclists from the MotoCancun channel documented their difficulties leaving Nicaragua with their pet. (Image taken from YouTube)One of the motorcyclists said they were unaware of that requirement: "They never told me I had to bring it, and I only found out here at the border." They said they had Pinky's vaccinations and health certificate, so they considered they had the necessary documentation. The process took seven hours, they recounted as they left the Nicaraguan post and entered Costa Rica with the pet. "We've been here for seven hours, just so you get an idea of how things went, so now it's time to try to leave without any problems," one of them said.