HomeNewsBriefCosta Rica Bust a Rare Move Against Sex Trafficking
BRIEF

Costa Rica Bust a Rare Move Against Sex Trafficking

COSTA RICA / 7 SEP 2016 BY MIKE LASUSA EN

Costa Rican authorities busted a group of alleged sex traffickers responsible for the forced prostitution of more than a dozen women, a laudable effort that nonetheless underscores the country's lackluster record when it comes to preventing and prosecuting sexual exploitation.

In an operation that began on September 2 and lasted until the early morning hours of September 3, police raided three bars in northern Alajuela province, La Nación reported. According to the news outlet, at least 16 women had been forced into prostitution at those locations.

In addition to freeing the victims, the police also arrested five Nicaraguans accused of belonging to the sex trafficking network. The majority of the victims were from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic, according to officials cited by La Nación.

The traffickers reportedly lured the women with false promises of well-paid work at the bars, but later forced them into prostitution and threatened them with physical harm if they tried to escape or alert the authorities.

The operation that led to the arrests reportedly stemmed from a tip from a neighbor who alerted police to the possibility of sexual exploitation occurring at one of the bars.

La Prensa reported that on September 4, the leaders of the alleged trafficking ring were ordered to serve six months in pretrial detention based on the prosecutor's argument that the suspects could flee or otherwise obstruct the ongoing investigation.

InSight Crime Analysis

As La Nación noted in a September 6 editorial, "the liberation of even one sexual slave is a great thing, and in this case 13 were freed. That is very important, but at the same time, it is a symptom of a much larger problem."

Costa Rica has long had a reputation as a hub for sex trafficking and sex tourism. The most recent Trafficking in Persons report produced by the US State Department placed Costa Rica on its "Tier 2 Watch List," noting that the Costa Rican government "did not demonstrate overall increasing anti-trafficking efforts compared to the previous reporting period."

SEE ALSO: Coverage of Human Trafficking

The La Nación editorial says that the recent raids should serve as a reminder that "Costa Rica is far from immune to the ravages of one of the three largest illicit business in the world, surpassed in size only by weapons and drugs." Dedicating more resources to combatting this lucrative illicit enterprise would likely be a wise move for authorities, especially considering the fact that the Central American country has been experiencing a growth in violence linked to criminal activities.

share icon icon icon

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.

We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

Related Content

ARGENTINA / 17 AUG 2022

Argentina Judge Sabrina Namer explains why criminal courts should include gender perspectives in their decisions.

GENDER AND CRIME / 21 SEP 2022

Accused drug trafficker Sandra Ávila Beltrán is demanding she be paid royalties for the “Queen of the South” Netflix series.

COLOMBIA / 1 JUL 2022

Colombian police uncovered a sex ring featuring underage migrants from Venezuela. Why does sex trafficking flourish in border areas?…

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime's Chemical Precursor Report continues to be a reference in the region

19 MAY 2023

For the second week in a row, our investigation into the flow of precursor chemicals for the manufacture of synthetic drugs in Mexico has been cited by multiple regional media…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Chemical Precursor Report Widely Cited

THE ORGANIZATION / 12 MAY 2023

We are proud to see that our recently published investigation into the supply chain of chemical precursors feeding Mexico’s synthetic drug production has been warmly received.

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Paraguay Election Coverage Draws Attention 

5 MAY 2023

InSight Crime looked at the various anti-organized crime policies proposed by the candidates in Paraguay’s presidential election, which was won on April 30 by Santiago Peña. Our pre-election coverage was cited…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Cited in OAS, CARICOM Reports

28 APR 2023

This week, InSight Crime’s work was cited nine times in a new report by the Organization of American States (OAS) titled “The Impact of Organized Crime on Women,…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Staff Cited as Experts by International Media

21 APR 2023

This week, InSight Crime deputy editor, Juan Diego Posada, was interviewed by the Associated Press about connections between the ex-FARC mafia and Brazilian criminal groups, and…