Costa Rica opens mega-prison as organized crime fight intensifies

Costa Rica inaugurated a maximum-security prison on Wednesday, aiming to combat the surge in organized crime after a spike in killings that had long kept the country among Latin America's safest nations. President Laura Fernandez unveiled the High-Containment Center Against Organized Crime, or CACCO, a facility modeled on El Salvador's mega-prison and part of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele's anti-gang crackdown.

With a capacity for 5,100 inmates, the CACCO represents about 20% of Costa Rica's prison population. In 2023, the country recorded its highest number of murders on record: 905. While the homicide rate slightly decreased to 876 in 2024 and 873 in 2025, it remained significantly higher than previous years. Most of these killings are attributed to disputes between criminal groups over drug trafficking routes and local markets.

Fernandez emphasized that the CACCO would introduce a tough-on-crime model, positioning Costa Rica as a global benchmark for prison security. She announced a visit to El Salvador on Friday, following Bukele's anti-gang crackdown that has been credited with reducing gang violence in El Salvador. However, human rights groups have criticized the crackdown for leading to mass arbitrary detentions, violations of due process, and a weakening of democratic safeguards.

The new prison's effectiveness will depend on the judiciary securing more convictions, according to Fernandez. Costa Rica's government has had conflicts with judicial authorities over crime policy and budget cuts, with judges and prosecutors warning against pressure on democratic checks and balances. Justice Minister Gabriel Aguilar presented the CACCO as a part of an effort to reassert state control over the prison system, which he claims has been infiltrated by organized crime.

The first inmates will be transferred to the CACCO at the end of October. Fernandez recently expressed hope for increased US security presence to aid Costa Rica in confronting drug trafficking and organized crime, although current coordination remains focused on patrols, investigations, and extradition efforts.