Q COSTARICA — The U.S. Department of Defense, rebranded as the Department of War (DOW) as of late 2025, has released a video on Sunday officially launching the Anti-Cartel Coalition of the Americas (Triple C), and at one point in the recording, Costa Rican flags appear on military uniforms.
The video shows President Donald Trump speaking about the coalition they signed last week to combat drug trafficking.
Later, the current Secretary Pete Hegseth appears, explaining the tough stance they will take against drug cartels, while images of missiles being launched at vessels at sea are shown.
Images of soldiers marching are shown, with the Costa Rican flag on their right sleeves.
Finally, the video focuses on Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressing the issue, and concludes with a few words from Trump.
Costa Rica is part of this group for now, given that the agreement signed by President Rodrigo Chaves is believed to be unconstitutional.
Costa Rica has no army, abolishing its army on December 1, 1948, following a civil war, with the decision officially enshrined in the 1949 Constitution.
What we see in the viedo is a fragment showing agents of the UEI (Special Intervention Unit), the country’s elite group specializing in high-risk operations such as counterterrorism, drug trafficking, and hostage rescue, attached to the Ministry of the Presidency and the Department of Intelligence and Security (DIS).
This video fragment is possibly taken from one of their participations in the Special Operations Forces, an annual elite competition and special operations training exercise in the Western Hemisphere, sponsored by the U.S. Southern Command and organized by the Special Operations Command South (SOCSOUTH). Fuerzas Comando is multi-day event brings together military and police elite teams from approximately 17–22 nations across the Americas and the Caribbean. Fuerzas Comando 2026 is scheduled to be hosted by Paraguay.
Typically, the event features elite units from countries in North America, Central America and the Caribbean, and South America. In Central America, the countries include: El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Costa Rica, and Belize.