Tourist crimes

The Public Security Ministry also doubled the number of National Police officers in the Cahuita district who are patrolling the Caribbean town around the clock.

The man was was apparently on his way to the beach, interested in taking photographs of the sunrise.

The suspect was toting 5,995 grams of liquid cocaine in a black hydration pack hidden inside a blue backpack he carried on his way to Rome.

Araya is the 16th drug smuggler nabbed at Juan Santamaría International Airport so far this year. He was the second Costa Rican arrested with drugs; the other suspected smugglers were all foreign nationals.

Tourism Police Director Xinia Vásquez told The Tico Times in a telephone interview that crimes against tourists have shown a downward trend since 2010.

Arrested with more than 3 kilograms of cocaine in his suitcase, the tourist becomes the first drug mule caught in Costa Rica this year, according to the Public Security Ministry.

The U.S. man was taking a walk when he apparently lost his balance and fell into a rock formation in the water below, where he sustained several injuries across his body, according to a statement from the Public Security Ministry.

Area hotel owners and guides say a lack of resources for law enforcement and insufficient response from the Costa Rican Tourism Board could damage the scenic Caribbean destination's reputation with visitors.