Costa Rica
A Drug Smuggler's Paradise
At Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica's main port on
its Pacific coast, security here and at
other ports and airports across the country
isn't tight enough. And that's according to
the country's authorities, who admit this
makes Costa Rica attractive to drug
smugglers, says the head of the
investigations agency.
"There is a lack of control at the Pavas
(Tobias Bolanos) airport, so people arrive
and take advantage of the situation. This is
of great help to drug trafficking. It is the
same at some other ports. The country needs
to pay a lot of attention to this topic
because every day we see important shipments
are made to Central America, Mexico, the
United States and Europe", according to
Jorge Rojas, director of the Organismo de
Investigacion Judicial (OIJB), the country's
main investigative body.
Costa Rican police say Mexico's recent
seizure of over a ton of cocaine, packed
inside frozen shark carcasses was shipped
from Puerto Caldera.
Costa Rica's authorities generally pick up
about 20 tons of cocaine a year headed for
the lucrative U.S. market.
Costa Rica's Fiscal General (Attorney
General), Francisco Dall'Anese warns drug
cartels already hold power:
"We have already been taken over by drug
cartels and other activities carried out by
organized criminals. What follows is that
drug cartels will take over political
parties, will finance political campaigns
and then take over the government", said
Dall'Anese
With this kind of warning, the future seems
bleak.
Port authorities say specially trained
police forces should carry out port
controls. But a bill to combat drug
trafficking, proposed by the Fiscal
General's office, has been awaiting approval
by congressmen for two years.
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