An extensive police operation in Costa Rica on Tuesday led to the arrest of 21 individuals suspected of being part of an international human trafficking network that operates between Ecuador and the United States. The operation involved Costa Rican officials coordinating with U.S. and Panamanian authorities and included 18 raids across different regions of Costa Rica.
Authorities are focusing on reducing the growing flow of migrants attempting to reach the United States through Latin America. Despite recent measures, tens of thousands of migrants continue to navigate the treacherous Darién Gap jungle passage between Panama and Colombia as they journey northward.
The suspects arrested are accused of providing illegal logistics services within the Costa Ricans, acting as part of the land route from Ecuador to the United States. They allegedly charged $14,000 per person to smuggle over a hundred migrants, according to Costa Rican police.
Most of the migrants who paid for the trip originated from Ecuador, though some came from African and Asian countries. Once crossing illegally into Costa Rica from Panama, the network reportedly moved the migrants to houses and hotels until they coordinated their transfer to the northern border with Nicaragua, as stated by the police.
“This is a complex human trafficking scheme. This is the Costa Rican phase of an international operation,” said Mario Zamora, Costa Rica’s security minister.
The crackdown follows an agreement between the U.S. and Costa Rica to address migration issues through the Darién Gap, with Washington covering the costs of deporting migrants who cross into Central America illegally.
Costa Rica is also considering a broader deportation agreement with the United States.
