Costa Rica’s Ministry of Finance has stepped up its campaign against tax evasion and contraband with a major inspection operation near San José’s Coca-Cola market, where officials seized merchandise allegedly lacking proper import documentation.
The operation targeted 26 businesses in one of downtown San José’s busiest commercial areas. More than 100 officials took part, including personnel from the Fiscal Control Police, Tax Administration and Customs, with support from the Health Ministry and San José Municipal Police.
Inspectors found merchandise that allegedly did not have the paperwork needed to prove it had entered the country legally or could be sold under Costa Rican regulations. The seized goods included shoes, watches and other assorted products.
The operation is part of a broader government push to tighten controls over businesses suspected of selling smuggled or undocumented merchandise. Authorities are also checking whether businesses are properly registered, issuing electronic invoices and complying with tax and health requirements.
The Coca-Cola market crackdown follows a similar operation in San José’s Barrio Chino, where officials recently seized thousands of products, including food, medicines, cosmetics and liquor. In that case, inspectors found goods with sanitary alerts, missing health registrations, labeling problems, expired products and items in poor condition.
The latest inspection points to a wider enforcement strategy aimed at recovering tax revenue and reducing unfair competition against businesses that follow import, tax and health rules.
For shoppers, the crackdown may mean more visible inspections in downtown San José and other busy commercial zones. For merchants, the message is clear: officials are reviewing invoices, import records, tax compliance and health permits, and merchandise without proper backing may be seized.
The Coca-Cola market area has long been a key commercial point in the capital, with heavy foot traffic, small retailers, street-level shops and nearby bus connections. That makes it a natural focus for authorities trying to trace goods moving through informal or poorly documented channels.
Officials have not yet released the final value of the merchandise seized in the Coca-Cola operation. The inventory process will determine the total amount and the next administrative steps
