Costa Rica remains a key route for drugs heading to North America, despite efforts to crack down on trafficking. The U.S. Department of State’s 2025 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report reveals a slight drop in drug seizures—32.1 metric tons (MT) from January to September 2024, including 20.5 MT of cocaine and 11.5 MT of marijuana, down from 36.4 MT in 2023. This decline, partly due to shifting maritime smuggling patterns, highlights serious challenges for a country battling organized crime with limited resources.
Costa Rica, working closely with U.S. and regional partners, stay on high alert. A June operation in Sierpe de Osa, Puntarenas, seized 1.2 tons of cocaine, led by the Drug Control Police and Air Surveillance Service. U.S. support, through the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and DEA, has bolstered efforts, including training a special unit that seized 10 kg of fentanyl in earlier this year, equivalent to 34,000 pills. Yet, the overall decrease in seizures raises concerns about enforcement capacity.
Fentanyl, a ongoing and growing concern, adds urgency. While Costa Rica shows no signs of large-scale fentanyl production, authorities have found pills for local use, signaling our country’s role as a transit and distribution hub for drugs produced elsewhere. Transnational criminal organizations exploit Costa Rica’s strategic location and porous borders, moving cocaine, fentanyl, and other drugs toward the U.S. and Europe.
Resource constraints hamper progress. Police funding has increased slightly, but it’s not enough to counter well-funded drug cartels. “Drug trafficking organizations have unlimited capital, while we struggle for supplies,” a Costa Rican official admitted. The INCSR stresses the need for professionalized law enforcement and judicial systems, with a focus on anti-corruption. Cases of police involvement in trafficking, though moderate, have raised public concern, underscoring the need for stronger oversight.
Violence tied to drugs is also surging. Murders continue to rise with over 70% linked to trafficking, turning once-peaceful areas like Pavas into hotspots where police hunt cartel leaders daily. The Treasury Department’s sanction of trafficker Gilbert Hernan “Macho Coca” Bell Fernandez, a violent cocaine smuggler in Limón, highlights the threat. Costa Rica’s collaboration with the EU, aims to share port security practices to curb drugs heading to Europe.
This all leads to the point that in order to fight back, Costa Rica needs an inter-institutional approach. Securing ports and borders with advanced tools, like scanners, is a priority, as mentioned by the new government. INL has supported border security, donating helicopters and training canine units that accounted for 75% of land-based seizures since 2017. The “Sembremos Seguridad” program, active in 17 municipalities, has cut violent crime and youth delinquency in pilot areas, showing promise for prevention.
Education and opportunity for young people are also critical. Poverty (23% of the population) and youth unemployment (18%) make teens easy targets for gangs, with 5,000 active gang members reported. Programs like Nueva Oportunidad teach job skills, but funding is scarce. The Costa Rican Drug Institute runs school campaigns to deter drug use, as crack and local marijuana use rise.
Our country’s fight against trafficking hinges on balancing enforcement with prevention. More resources, anti-corruption reforms, and youth-focused programs could turn the tide, but for now, Costa Rica remains a vital hub in the global drug trade.
