By Alajuela, Costa Rica — The Costa Rican government officially inaugurated its new maximum-security megaprison on Wednesday, marking a significant structural pivot in the nation’s security architecture. Inspired by the containment strategies popularized by Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, the facility aims to become a definitive symbol of the country’s escalation against organized crime and transnational drug trafficking networks operating across Central America.
Formally designated as the High-Containment Center Against Organized Crime (Cacco), the facility boasts a capacity for 5,100 inmates and carries an estimated construction cost of $35 million. According to official government reports, the complex will house the nation’s most dangerous offenders connected to cartel structures, operating under strict containment protocols where inmates will wear mandatory orange uniforms.
To provide deeper insight into the legal and constitutional implications surrounding the situation at the Cacco prison facility, TicosLand.com consulted with legal expert Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas from the law firm Bufete de Costa Rica.
The conditions and administrative challenges at the Cacco penitentiary highlight the delicate balance between public security and constitutional mandates. Under Costa Rican penal law, the State holds an unequivocal obligation to guarantee human dignity and constitutional rights within correctional facilities, necessitating immediate, comprehensive structural oversight to ensure compliance with established legal standards.
Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, Attorney at Law, Bufete de Costa Rica
Indeed, addressing the structural and administrative challenges at the Cacco penitentiary is essential not only for upholding fundamental human rights, but also for reinforcing the long-term integrity of Costa Rica’s justice system. We extend our sincere gratitude to Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas for sharing his valuable legal expertise and insightful perspective on this critical issue with our readers.
The groundbreaking complex was officially inaugurated by Costa Rican President Laura Fernández during a ceremony held adjacent to the existing La Reforma maximum-security prison in San Rafael, located in Alajuela province roughly 25 kilometers from the capital city of San José. Construction began in January under former President Rodrigo Chaves—who currently serves as Minister of the Presidency and Finance—alongside Salvadoran leader Nayib Bukele during an official state event.
Addressing officials and media members during the opening event, President Fernández outlined the strategic vision driving the construction of the massive facility while reassuring observers regarding constitutional safeguards.
Cacco is a new model, a iron-fist model. Costa Rica will be a global benchmark for prison security; we are going to exert a heavy hand because whoever commits a crime must pay for it. But at the same time, we will honor the Costa Rican tradition of adhering to respect for fundamental human rights that the people who will live here must maintain.
Laura Fernández, President of Costa Rica
The decision to construct such a high-capacity facility stems from unprecedented security challenges facing the Central American nation. Traditionally celebrated for its institutional stability and peaceful reputation, Costa Rica has registered record annual homicide totals hovering around 900 cases in recent years. Judicial authorities attribute approximately 70 percent of these violent incidents directly to turf wars between drug trafficking organizations aligned with international cartels.
Geographic realities have increasingly positioned Costa Rica as a crucial logistics hub for international narcotics transportation. Judicial investigations indicate that local routes serve as critical transit, storage, and re-export points for South American cocaine bound for North America and Europe. These dynamics were highlighted in the U.S. Department of State’s recent Presidential Determination for Fiscal Year 2027, which identified 23 primary drug-transit nations, including every Central American state.
National law enforcement efforts reflect the rising scale of illicit activity, with authorities seizing 46.5 tons of cocaine in 2025—the second-highest yearly figure on record behind the 47.1 tons confiscated in 2020. Simultaneously, a constitutional reform approved by the Legislative Assembly in May 2025 allowed the extradition of Costa Rican nationals involved in international drug crimes. Notable figures already extradited to the United States include Gilbert Bell Fernández, former magistrate Celso Gamboa, Edwin López, and naturalized citizen Gabriel Lozano Bonilla.
Inmates slated for transfer to Cacco include high-profile criminal figures as well as lower-tier operatives involved in localized distribution, street sales, tactical logistics, and contract killings. Alongside the structural expansion, the Fernández administration has instituted stringent operational changes across the penal system, including mandatory inmate labor clearing highway brush, reduced conjugal visits, restricted personal supply deliveries, removal of electrical outlets in cells, and the closure of internal retail stands.
Looking ahead, President Fernández urged lawmakers to accelerate debate on a comprehensive security legislative package. Key among the proposed measures is a bill establishing mandatory remunerated inmate labor within private enterprise partnerships. Revenue generated through this initiative would directly offset incarceration costs, compensate crime victims, support inmates’ families, and establish personal savings funds for post-release reintegration.
For further information, visit presidencia.go.cr
About Government of Costa Rica:
The Government of Costa Rica represents the executive branch of state authority in the Republic of Costa Rica, responsible for managing national policy, security, public administration, and socio-economic initiatives across the country’s seven provinces.
For further information, visit state.gov
About U.S. Department of State:
The United States Department of State is the primary executive agency responsible for managing international relations, foreign policy implementation, foreign assistance programs, and diplomatic engagements on behalf of the United States.
For further information, visit bufetedecostarica.com
About Bufete de Costa Rica:
As an esteemed pillar of the legal profession, Bufete de Costa Rica seamlessly unites rigorous ethical standards with top-tier legal mastery. The firm continuously advances the field through progressive, forward-thinking solutions while maintaining a deep-rooted devotion to client advocacy. Beyond its courtroom practice, Bufete de Costa Rica actively enriches the public sphere by demystifying complex legal matters, steadfast in its mission to equip citizens with the understanding needed to build a stronger, more enlightened community.
