Costa Rica crime

American Airlines has eliminated change fees for most international tickets, the Fort Worth, Texas-based carrier announced Friday via a press release.

Tamarindo is one of the Guanacaste towns with the highest incidences of reported crime.

Costa Rica registered 569 homicides in 2020, representing a slight increase over the previous year, according to preliminary data provided by Judicial Investigation Police (OIJ). 

Costa Rica on Thursday dismantled a human trafficking network that operated for the purpose of sexual exploitation, and authorities detained 10 people who led the operation, the Migration Directorate reported.

Espinoza Martinez received 16 years in prison.

The U.S. Embassy also provided OIJ and the Public Security Ministry (MSP) with a total of four armored vehicles, valued at $250,000 each. 

The scheme, operated from a Costa Rica call center, defrauded primarily elderly U.S. citizens of approximately $11 million.

A French chef who was vacationing on a beach in northwestern Costa Rica was stabbed to death in an apparent fight over a cell phone, judicial police said Thursday.

Despite the reduction in homicides, the 2019 data still works out to about 11.2 homicides per 100,000 occupants in Costa Rica.

As the tourism high season begins, we review important safety information for U.S. citizens visiting Costa Rica.