Q COSTA RICA – Costa Rica’s immigration police detained 22 people on suspicion of forming an organized gang dedicated to the smuggling of migrants. Authorities presume that the suspects told migrants that there were no hotels available or bus service in San José, to later deceive and scam them.
According to the authorities, the victims were taken to the North Zone with the purpose of housing them, to later take them out of the country illegally to Nicaragua, and then hand them over to others in the neighboring country who take them en route to their final destination, the United States.
The police operation took place in San José, Desamparados, Heredia, Sarapiquí and the northern part of the country.
The criminal network has been under investigation since February 2022.
