Seventeen people were arrested in a series of coordinated raids conducted by Costa Rican police, following an extensive investigation launched in 2023 into a complex migrant smuggling ring operating between Ecuador and the United States. Authorities executed 18 raids across San José, Heredia, Alajuela, Los Chiles, and the Southern Zone, significantly disrupting the criminal network.
According to the Directorate General of Migration, the leaders of the organization in Costa Rica, now detained, were in charge of coordinating and executing the smuggling of migrants. Other members were responsible for transferring, housing, and hiding them until they left the country.
The network’s operations covered land, sea, and air, authorities described. The group had an entire logistical structure covering the recruitment, accommodation, and movement of individuals. Investigations concluded that the organization charged about $14,000 for all its services.
For the moment, authorities say that there are 101 victims from different countries, including Syria, Egypt, Mexico, Colombia, Haiti, India, Ecuador, China, and Nicaragua.
Costa Rica was an obligatory stopover, and a mechanism was in place to move people from south to north. It is presumed that the victims entered through Panama and from there were taken to Nicaragua.
“Their transportation to the northern border was coordinated, using public buses that went to the northern border. They also used public service cabs from Corredores that traveled to Orotina, where they transferred to public service cabs in San José, and then went to Los Chiles,” pointed out the Directorate General of Migration.
The operation was coordinated with U.S. and Panamanian authorities. Among the participants in the extensive operation were U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Panamanian National Police, and the Panamanian Organized Crime Prosecutor’s Office.
Migration officials explained that this is the tenth international operation carried out to combat criminal organizations dedicated to the smuggling of migrants. The authorities referred to this case as the “Atlantic Case.”
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