No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsCrimeDrug Gangs Target Businesses in Costa Rica

Drug Gangs Target Businesses in Costa Rica

According to the Costa Rican media outlet Teletica, drug gangs Los Lara and Diablo are extorting businesses and vendors for millions of dollars to sustain their operations.

Los Lara has been operating in San Jose for many years and is already familiar to the authorities. On the other hand, Diablo operates throughout the Caribbean, and its leader, identified as Alejandro Arias Monge, has been wanted since 2018.

Jose Solano, the head of the Miscellaneous Crimes Section Unit of the Judicial Investigation Organism (OIJ), noted that extortion cases of this nature are lower in the capital compared to the province of Limón.

“Extortionists take advantage of easily obtaining phone numbers through advertisements and social networks, where many businesses publish information. They often claim affiliation with cartels from Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, or elsewhere, threatening that people are ready to attack outside their premises, houses, or companies if they do not pay.

“They demand payment through Sinpe mobile or international money transfer. Typically, payments made nationally or internationally are deposited to intermediaries. We know that these extortions are already being carried out by recognized criminal groups—one from the Caribbean (Diablo) and another from a well-known surname in San José (Los Lara),” commented Solano.

When these criminal groups contact their victims in the name of their gang, they even demand a percentage of total sales. The amounts often exceed ten million colones, with threats if payment is not made.

As of November 2, the Judicial Police had registered 686 complaints related to such extortions; however, the majority were for “gota a gota” loans and sextortion.

“There are a series of crimes that occur when payments are defaulted, such as damage to homes and businesses, including hitting gates and even shooting. All of this is related to debt collection for extortion. We also have reports of assaults where criminals intervene, charging people and taking away their belongings, such as telephones or money, to repay the debt,” explained Solano.

The judicial agent also highlighted that in “gota a gota” loans, those affected request sums ranging from 50 thousand to two million colones, with weekly payments of 50 thousand to 200 thousand colones, depending on the amount requested.

When a debt is incurred, the trigger point is the failure to pay. On weekends, when individuals cannot pay due to a lack of money or unemployment, extortion begins, both psychologically and patrimonially.

“The ideal is not to access this type of informal loan, and if you do, it is advisable to collect all the information of the people who come to collect, including names, license plate numbers of vehicles, and specific identifying characteristics. Immediately report it to the authorities,” added Solano.

Trending Now

The Most Clueless Gringo in Costa Rica: A Satirical Take on Expat Life

If part of your online day includes mindless scrolling through reels, you’ve probably seen the Dos Equis beer parody commercials. The original ads featured the...

Costa Rica Anglers Catch Rare Orange and Albino Nurse Shark

Anglers on a fishing trip off Costa Rica's Caribbean coast caught a nurse shark unlike any seen before: bright orange skin and stark white...

Costa Rica Replaces One-Lane Bridges as Traffic and Population Grow

As the infrastructure of Costa Rica advances, with new four-lane highways and a series of bypasses around San José that avoid the narrow, congested...

Costa Rica National Parks to Measure Tourism Impact

Costa Rica will now be able to measure the impact of tourism in its national parks, thanks to innovative environmental technology from The NeverRest...

Costa Rica President Confronts Calls to Strip Immunity

Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves denounced today an “attempted judicial coup” as he appeared before a congressional committee that must recommend to the full...

Costa Rica Drivers Face Yearlong Delays as Tárcoles Bridge Undergoes Repairs

Those who frequently use the South Coast Highway, near the Tárcoles river, will have to be more patient.  Repair works have started on the...
spot_img
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