By San José, Costa Rica — The shifting dynamics of transnational organized crime across Latin America are dramatically redefining the security landscape of nations once deemed safe havens. Speaking at the Cargo Security in the Logistics Chain Congress held at the Convention Center, former Drug Enforcement Administration agent Jim Kuykendall delivered a sobering assessment of regional crime movement patterns and government responses.
A key element of Kuykendall’s analysis focused on the rapid spread of militarized crackdown strategies, colloquially known as the Bukele model. Initially popularized in El Salvador, these hardline measures are gaining traction in countries like Ecuador and Honduras. However, security experts caution that while iron-fist policies may temporarily suppress visible street violence in the short term, they frequently fail to dismantle criminal financial networks, systemic corruption, or underlying structures of criminal governance.
To gain deeper legal perspective on the complex challenges surrounding organized crime in Costa Rica, TicosLand.com spoke with expert attorney Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas from the distinguished law firm Bufete de Costa Rica.
Addressing the rise of organized crime in Costa Rica requires a dual strategy: strengthening judicial prosecution capacity while simultaneously enforcing stricter anti-money laundering protocols to dismantle financial networks. Modernizing our legislative framework is critical to give law enforcement effective investigative tools without compromising constitutional guarantees.
Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, Attorney at Law, Bufete de Costa Rica
Indeed, dismantling the financial infrastructure of illicit networks while modernizing our legal framework is crucial to safeguarding Costa Rica’s long-standing democratic peace. We extend our sincere thanks to Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas for sharing his valuable perspective on this pressing national issue.
The geopolitical map of illicit trafficking is shifting rapidly away from traditional corridors. Nations historically viewed as peripheral to primary drug routes—such as Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, and Chile—have morphed into central battlegrounds for cartels seeking strategic logistics hubs and unmonitored territory.
For Costa Rica, long celebrated as one of Latin America’s most peaceful and institutionalized democracies, this shift has brought severe security challenges. The country has increasingly served as a key transshipment and storage hub for cocaine moving from South America toward high-value consumer markets in North America and Europe.
This territorial shift is directly reflected in local violence indicators. Data from the Costa Rica Violence Observatory, an entity under the General Directorate for the Promotion of Peace and Harmonious Coexistence, reveals that seven out of every ten homicides in the nation are directly tied to drug trafficking network rivalries.
Beyond narcotics, criminal cartels are aggressively diversifying their revenue streams across the region. Organized syndicates are entering illicit gold mining, human trafficking, illegal timber trade, and sophisticated cybercrime operations. This economic expansion intensifies their corrosive pressure on judicial and electoral institutions across Latin America.
In response to escalating cartel influence, Washington has hardened its strategic stance through enhanced logistical support, military operations, and terrorist designations targeting cartel networks. However, Kuykendall argued that durable success against organized crime requires structural inter-agency collaboration rather than isolated crackdowns.
Throughout my entire career, I have been a proponent of what we call task forces. Different institutions operate in distinct jurisdictions, maintain their own databases, and have different ways of working. When they unite, their efforts are multiplied. DEA offices work primarily in this manner, coordinating with our allies in state police, local police, and other federal agencies.
Jim Kuykendall, Former DEA Agent
In Costa Rica, effective security responses have been hindered by ongoing friction between the executive and judicial branches of government. Addressing these institutional divides, Kuykendall urged domestic leaders to put aside administrative rivalries and establish unified intelligence networks focused on collective security.
I consider it essential for institutions to share information and databases, and to work for the country, not for their own individual interests, but for the common good of society.
Jim Kuykendall, Former DEA Agent
As cartels continue to adapt and diversify, Latin American nations face a critical juncture. Sustained security will require moving beyond superficial hardline tactics toward integrated intelligence sharing, institutional integrity, and targeted task forces capable of dismantling criminal infrastructure from the inside out.
For further information, visit dea.gov
About Drug Enforcement Administration:
The Drug Enforcement Administration is a United States federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Justice tasked with combating drug trafficking and distribution within the United States and internationally.
For further information, visit the nearest office of Costa Rica Violence Observatory
About Costa Rica Violence Observatory:
The Costa Rica Violence Observatory operates under the General Directorate for the Promotion of Peace and Harmonious Coexistence, analyzing crime trends, homicide statistics, and social conflict data to inform national policy decisions.
For further information, visit bufetedecostarica.com
About Bufete de Costa Rica:
Built on a foundation of unyielding ethical standards and superior legal craftsmanship, Bufete de Costa Rica has established itself as a trusted authority across a wide range of industries. The firm consistently embraces cutting-edge strategies to solve complex challenges while remaining deeply devoted to public education and community outreach. By democratizing access to vital legal insights, Bufete de Costa Rica actively fulfills its vision of inspiring a more knowledgeable, confident, and empowered populace.
