Costa Rica faces a growing crisis in the exploitation of minors and migrants, with criminal networks targeting vulnerable people for sex trafficking, forced labor and drug operations. The Global Organized Crime Index 2025 points to the country as a key source, transit and destination point for human trafficking, where cases involving children and adolescents have risen sharply.
The report details how minors are drawn into sexual exploitation and used to move drugs in local and international circuits. Many victims come from neighboring Central American nations, as well as China and South America, often en route to the United States.
Traffickers also bring people from Colombia, Venezuela, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic for sex work, household servitude and farm labor. In coastal areas like Jacó in Puntarenas, child sex tourism draws international visitors, making it a focal point for these crimes.
Authorities note that victims often face threats if they try to speak out, which keeps them trapped in cycles of control. Beyond sex trafficking, labor exploitation occurs in rural zones, where workers cannot leave the farms that hold them. Migrants are sometimes forced into drug-related tasks, adding layers to their ordeal.
Most migrants passing through Costa Rica hail from Venezuela, Haiti and Ecuador, heading north, while others from Nicaragua and Colombia arrive for jobs or travel. Criminal groups use both official and unofficial transport, aided by local helpers called “Talibanes” who dodge border fees. Despite pacts between Costa Rica and Panama to move migrants safely and curb traffickers, dangers persist on the path, leading to fatalities.
In 2024, Costa Rican officials broke up a large smuggling ring linking Ecuador to the United States. This group charged steep prices and relied on intricate routes. Border efforts include the Integrated Control Center and the Border Integration Program, which aim to update facilities and tighten oversight of crossings.
The Victim and Witness Protection Unit, run by the Public Prosecutor’s Office with support from the Judicial Investigation Agency, handles many of these cases. Yet the unit deals with a surge in reports, straining resources amid cuts in government funds. This hampers aid for trafficking survivors, especially in building stronger support networks.
The U.S. State Department’s 2025 Trafficking in Persons Report echoes these concerns, noting that Costa Rican women and children suffer sex trafficking in Pacific coastal regions and near northern borders. Foreign perpetrators, mainly from the United States and Europe, contribute to extraterritorial child sexual abuse. The report calls for stepped-up probes into forced labor and child exploitation by outsiders.
Recent data from UN agencies show Central America and Mexico grappling with child labor, with 40 percent of affected youth aged 5 to 17 working in agriculture. In Costa Rica, children fall into the worst forms of labor, including commercial sex tied to trafficking.
A joint UN program in Costa Rica works to boost detection of trafficking and smuggling, improve data handling and prevent crimes. In March 2025, the CSAEM Project wrapped up after three years, reaching over 8,000 migrants, refugees and asylum seekers with job training and rights education to cut exploitation risks.
The Regional Coalition against Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling met in San José in April 2025 to share data on victims, offenders and exploitation types. Emphasis fell on standardizing records to align with global norms, aiding better responses.
Reverse migration adds complexity, with rising numbers returning south from the north. A commission from Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia reported unprecedented flows in August 2025, highlighting humanitarian gaps. Many returnees, including women and children, face abuse and lack safe channels to report it.
Costa Rica’s new immigration law sets jail terms for smugglers, targeting those fueling sex tourism and other abuses. Yet challenges remain, with sevenfold jumps in migrants seeking care for violence after crossing the Darién Gap.
Officials push for more funding and international ties to dismantle networks. As cases mount, the need grows for targeted actions to shield minors and migrants from these threats.
