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Crime and Punishment

Four U.S. men charged in connection with billion-dollar Costa Rica sportsbook operation

Four U.S. men allegedly running The WagerSpot and Hustler247 sportsbooks were charged recently in the U.S. in connection with an illegal sports betting ring headquartered in San José, Costa Rica.

Coast Guard seizes 2.5 tons of sailfish

Suspects were transferring the illegally transported sailfish to a seafood truck on shore when authorities confiscated the product.

Michigan fugitive John Saatio to be extradited Saturday

Costa Rican authorities said they wanted to extradite Saatio "as soon as possible" to prevent any further attempts at escape.

Police arrest suspected killers of Gerardo Cruz

In an ugly twist to the story of a young man hailed as a defender of women, police say he was killed by a jilted lover.

Costa Rica’s justice minister: ‘We are not releasing inmates’

Costa Rica’s Justice Minister Cecilia Sánchez Romero was forced this week to defend before the Legislative Assembly the partial release of hundreds of inmates to reduce overcrowding. The program has sparked criticism from various sectors, including the Public Security Ministry.

Puerto Viejo: Is it time to lift the US travel alert?

Crime is down in Puerto Viejo and the rest of Costa Rica's south Caribbean coast, police and residents say, and it's safer here than in some other popular tourist destinations. So why does a 2-year-old U.S. travel alert remain in place?

No prison sentences for petty theft, lawmakers propose

Two Costa Rican lawmakers want to fine small-time thieves instead of jailing them as a way to reduce pressure on the country's overcrowded prisons. Their draft bill calls for eliminating prison penalties for theft under ₡200,000.

Harsher prison sentences don’t curb crime

The region's tough-on-crime policies have failed. It's time for serious penal and judicial reforms that address rehabilitation as well as punishment.
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Costa Rican Sandra Cauffman Ends 37-Year NASA Career

Sandra Cauffman, a trailblazing Costa Rican engineer, retired from NASA on August 8, 2025, leaving a legacy that spans decades of space exploration and...

Costa Rica Vacation Marks New Chapter for Megan Fox and MGK

Actress Megan Fox and musician Machine Gun Kelly, whose real name is Colson Baker, recently headed to Costa Rica for a family vacation with...

Costa Rica Faces Collapse of Its Waste Management System

Costa Rica is facing a solid waste crisis. The country generates more than 4,000 tons of solid waste each day, an estimated 80% of...

Legal Battle Erupts Over Hutchison’s Panama Canal Port Concession

Panama’s president, José Raúl Mulino, said that he wants to negotiate a new concession contract with the Hong Kong–based Hutchison Holdings subsidiary to continue...