Costa Rica has transferred its first 123 inmates to a newly built maximum-security prison outside the capital San José as the government steps up efforts to combat organized crime.
According to the Justice Ministry on Tuesday, the High Containment Center against Organized Crime (CACCO) was built with assistance from the Salvadoran government.
The facility can accommodate up to 5,100 inmates, equivalent to around 20% of the country’s total prison population.
Images released by the ministry showed inmates wearing orange uniforms, with shaved heads bowed and hands behind their necks—similar to images from El Salvador’s mega-prison, where authorities hold gang members and suspected gang affiliates.
Justice Minister Gabriel Aguilar said the facility forms part of President Laura Fernandez’s tougher approach to fighting organized crime.
He also said it is expected to help ease overcrowding in the country’s prison system.
Once regarded as one of the safest countries in Latin America, Costa Rica has experienced a rise in violence linked to drug trafficking and organized crime.
The country recorded a record number of homicides in 2023, although the figures have since stabilized.
(Photo Courtesy: Reuters)
