Costa Rican authorities have detained 19 people suspected of smuggling hundreds of mostly Asian migrants through the country and on to the United States. This operation is truly a giant leap. Its goal is to disrupt a transnational organized crime network that operates human trafficking and money laundering operations. These raids, occurring in at least 10 different cities, were carried out by Costa Rica’s immigration police on May 28, 2025.
Conducted in coordination with Panamanian authorities, the investigation began more than a year ago. It revealed that traffickers specifically sought migrants from countries such as China, Vietnam, and those running from Venezuela to Germany. According to reports, at least 437 of these individuals were trafficked illegally into Costa Rica via land, sea, and air. Once in the country, these migrants were transferred over to the criminal organization that handled their smuggling.
Enrique Arguedas, Commissioner of the Costa Rican Immigration Police, pointed out the level of sophistication of the trafficking operations. He stated that “the victims were being recruited by different criminal organizations that operated between Panama and Costa Rica and facilitated the movement of migrants … toward the northern part of the continent, specifically the United States.”
During the raids, police utilized battering rams, bolt cutters, and rifles to access various locations where the criminal network allegedly moved migrants. In response, the Costa Rica Prosecutor’s Office prosecuted the traffickers for both human trafficking and money laundering crimes.
The prosecutor’s office gave a detailed explanation of how the traffickers operated. They noted that “once these migrants were illegally introduced into Costa Rica,” they were charged exorbitant fees ranging from $7,000 to $40,000 based on their nationality for these criminal services.
Deputy Attorney General Mauricio Boraschi added that “once (migrants) were in the hands of this criminal group,” their conditions became dire as they faced exploitation and abuse within the trafficking network.
Immediately upon entering with the FGR inspectors, large homes and hotels in the Corredores and Los Chiles municipalities were disclosed. These sites served as command centers for the trafficking operation. Additionally, law enforcement from both Costa Rica and Panama have been actively engaged. This further points to a growing, holistic international push against human trafficking in Central America.
