Costa Rica

All About Costa Rica

NEWS

Costa Rica Struggles to Profit from Sale of Narco-Assets

COSTA RICA / 13 SEP 2021

In Costa Rica, the seizure of narco-assets presents more of an obstacle than a gift to authorities.

High-Profile Corruption Probe Tests Costa Rica’s Justice System

COSTA RICA / 22 JUN 2021

At a time when elites are undermining anti-graft efforts across Central America, prosecutors in Costa Rica have launched a far-reaching investigation into a bribery scheme between government officials and construction…

No Sloth Selfies - The Rush to Protect Latin America's Slowest Mammal

COLOMBIA / 29 MAY 2021

While Latin America is home to the trafficking of all manner of species, several foundations are working to save arguably its slowest-moving victims: the sloths.

5 Animals Used to Smuggle Drugs in Latin America

ARGENTINA / 7 MAY 2021

The cat-and-mouse game of evading law enforcement was taken literally by drug smugglers recently in Panama, who hid cocaine on a feline and sent it into a prison.

Costa Rica Cocaine Theft Ring Relies on Crooked Agents

COCAINE / 13 APR 2021

The dismantling of a Costa Rican drug gang that worked with agents in an elite investigative unit to steal cocaine shipments from rival traffickers is yet another sign of the…

Organized Real Estate Fraud Rings Threaten Property Owners in Costa Rica

COSTA RICA / 6 APR 2021

With owners of expensive lots kept away from Costa Rica because of COVID-19 restrictions, organized property fraud rings have enlisted corrupt notaries to steal properties.

Human Smuggling Thrives Between Costa Rica and Nicaragua

COSTA RICA / 15 JAN 2021

Recent interceptions linked to the illicit smuggling of migrants at Nicaragua’s border with Costa Rica have illustrated the extent to which clandestine groups and individuals dedicated to the trade continue…

Why Courtroom Corruption Has Costa Rica Concerned

COCAINE / 6 JAN 2021

A string of recent arrests connecting judicial officials to drug trafficking organizations in Costa Rica have raised concerns that institutional corruption facilitating the trade is becoming more commonplace, as a…

GameChangers 2020: The Resurgence of the Central American Cocaine Highway

CACHIROS / 28 DEC 2020

A rush of drug plane traffic from South America, coupled with traffickers smuggling large cocaine shipments after coronavirus border restrictions eased, led to a surge in narcotics transiting Central America…

Demand for Illegal Alcohol Claiming Hundreds of Lives Across Region

CONTRABAND / 3 NOV 2020

A sizeable seizure of adulterated rum shipped to Honduras from Europe reveals the extent to which black markets for alcohol in Latin America have expanded in response to limits on…

Fake Turtle Eggs With GPS Trackers Seek Rollout Across Latin America

COSTA RICA / 26 OCT 2020

An experiment to track poached turtle eggs through the use of synthetic eggs equipped with GPS trackers in Costa Rica has offered a seductive new approach to fighting wildlife trafficking,…

Salvatore Ponzo and the Italian Mafia's Infiltration of Costa Rica

COCAINE / 6 OCT 2020

The photos in the Costa Rican press showed Salvatore Ponzo, the Italian fruit exporter, with a neatly trimmed beard and polite smile, wearing polo shirts and baseball caps emblazoned with…

Costa Rica Passes Law to Destroy Illegal Runways on Private Property

COCAINE / 29 SEP 2020

A new law in Costa Rica, that looks to destroy illegal landingstrips, could provide an opportunity to control flights and close the country’s airways for drug traffickers. Nevertheless, reducing the…

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About InSight Crime

ABOUT US

THE ORGANIZATION

Unraveling the Web of Elites Connected to Organized Crime

27 JUL 2021

InSight Crime published Elites and Organized Crime in Nicaragua, a deep dive into the relationships between criminal actors and elites in that Central American nation.

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Greater Focus on US-Mexico Border

20 JUL 2021

InSight Crime has decided to turn many of its investigative resources towards understanding and chronicling the criminal dynamics along the US-Mexico border.

THE ORGANIZATION

Key Arrests and Police Budget Increases Due to InSight Crime Investigations

8 JUL 2021

With Memo Fantasma’s arrest, InSight Crime has proven that our investigations can and will uncover major criminal threats in the Americas.

THE ORGANIZATION

Organized Crime’s Influence on Gender-Based Violence

30 JUN 2021

InSight Crime investigator Laura N. Ávila spoke on organized crime and gender-based violence at the launch of a research project by the United Nations Development Programme.