No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchiveCosta Rican police sweep nets several suspects in conservationist's murder probe

Costa Rican police sweep nets several suspects in conservationist’s murder probe

MOÍN, Limón – Shortly after 5 a.m. on Wednesday, agents from Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Police (OIJ) raided several locations near Moín port and the city of Limón, both on the Caribbean coast, and arrested several suspects believed to be involved in the May 31 murder of turtle conservationist Jairo Mora, as well as other crimes, including robbery and turtle egg poaching.

jmarrest02

Costa Rican Judicial Investigation Police break down the door of a suspect’s house near Moín port, a short distance from where turtle conservationist Jairo Mora was slain while patrolling the beach.


Lindsay Fendt

OIJ spokeswoman Marisel Rodríguez said the number of suspects arrested is at least seven, and police are still searching for at least one other suspect. However, at 8:20 a.m., Prosecutor’s Office spokeswoman Tatiana Vargas said she could only confirm six suspects arrested. A press conference is scheduled for 10 a.m. in San José with more details on the bust.

Agents raided homes in La Managuita, Los Cocos, Pacuare and Guápiles, including two small houses down a muddy road in a forested area near Moín port – near where Mora was killed – where a Tico Times reporter witnessed one of the suspects placed under arrest and loaded into the back of an OIJ van.

Among the evidence police confiscated is Mora’s cellphone, Rodríguez said.

Initial reports from the Prosecutor’s Office indicate that investigators believe robbery was the motive for the brutal murder, which took place on an isolated beach where Mora worked to protect nesting sea turtles. Investigators said the suspects belong to a criminal gang dedicated to committing robberies and assaults in the area, not international drug trafficking, as was widely believed, based on Mora’s previous run-ins with poachers and the prevalence of cocaine and marijuana trafficking in the area.

Rodríguez said several of the suspects have prior arrests for robbery and assault.

Mora, who worked for the international conservation group the Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network (WIDECAST), was patrolling the beach in the night hours of May 30 with four international volunteers when they were confronted and kidnapped by five armed men, who tied up the foreign volunteers and left them in an abandoned house. Mora was found early the next morning on the beach next to his vehicle. He was badly beaten and suffocated in the sand.

jmarrest01

A team of agents assemble outside of Limón’s Judicial Investigation Police office before an early-morning sweep on Wednesday that led to the arrest of at least seven suspects in the Jairo Mora murder case. Police believe a criminal gang was behind Mora’s murder, not drug traffickers.


Lindsay Fendt

Costa Rican conservationists, international NGOs and even a U.S. congressman had called for justice in the case, and a massive international rally was planned for Wednesday afternoon.

“Obviously I’m very content because something has happened,” WIDECAST’s Costa Rican director, Didiher Chacón, told The Tico Times Wednesday morning.

“The environment minister has been assuring me that they knew who they [the suspects] were, but they were building a strong case and waiting. We will see if they actually end up in jail,” he said, adding, “Here is where the story begins and we will see if justice works.”

Vanessa Lizano, a friend of Mora’s who heads a nearby wildlife rescue center and who continued patrolling Moín Beach after Mora’s death, said, “Thank god that they’ve done something, but we’ll see what happens. It doesn’t stop here. Jairo died for Moín, and I won’t stop until we get protection for Moín.”

Following the raids, Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla tweeted: “I celebrate the diligence of the judicial and police authorities. For what he [Mora] represented and so that there is not impunity in Costa Rica.”

Follow updates on this breaking story at wordpress-257819-2837440.cloudwaysapps.com

Jairo Mora update

Jairo Mora, 26, had warned of receiving death threats from alleged drug traffickers or poachers days before he was murdered on Moín Beach, on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Trending Now

Costa Rica and Panama Seek Gold Cup Glory Against North American Giants

With no Caribbean teams advancing, a Central American contingent made up of Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Guatemala heads into the quarterfinals of the...

Fishing, Wildlife, and History in Costa Rica’s Barra del Colorado

Costa Rica’s Barra del Colorado is a magical and charming town. It’s one of the country’s hidden gems, best known for its world-class sport...

Costa Rica’s Pride March 2025 Defies Restrictions and Celebrates Diversity

A large crowd gathered in Paseo Colón, San José, to participate in the LGBTIQ+ Pride March 2025. It began at noon, as people marched...

Costa Rica Surf Film Festival Honors ‘Pura Vida Bodysurfing’ with Top Audience Award

Pura Vida Bodysurfing is an award-winning short film that strips surfing back to its essence—riding waves without a surfboard. Filmed across Costa Rica’s legendary...

Life After MS-13 in El Salvador as Residents Seek a Fragile Peace

Esperanza Martinez lost three relatives who were murdered and saw numerous bodies left in the streets of her neighborhood, a former stronghold of the...

An Expat’s Take: 5 Burning Questions About Life in Costa Rica Right Now

Have you been keeping up with the various events taking place in Costa Rica? There is always something interesting going down, and here are...
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica